Little Stint
| Little Stint | |
|---|---|
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| Adult in September | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Scolopacidae |
| Genus: | Calidris |
| Species: | C. minuta |
| Binomial name | |
| Calidris minuta Leisler, 1812 |
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| Synonyms | |
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Erolia minuta |
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The Little Stint, Calidris minuta (or Erolia minuta), is a very small wader. It breeds in arctic Europe and Asia, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to Africa and south Asia. It occasionally is a vagrant to North America and to Australia.
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[edit] Appearance
Its small size, fine dark bill, dark legs and quicker movements distinguish this species from all waders except the other dark-legged stints. It can be distinguished from these in all plumages by its combination of a fine bill tip, unwebbed toes and long primary projection. The call is a sharp "stit".
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The breeding adult has an orange wash to the breast, a white throat and a strong white V on its back. In winter plumage identification is difficult. Juveniles have pale crown stripes and a pinkish breast.
An apparent hybrid between this species and Temminck's Stint has been reported from the Netherlands.[2]
[edit] Population dynamics
The numbers of this species (and of Curlew Sandpiper) depend on the population of lemmings. In poor lemming years, predatory species such as skuas and Snowy Owls take Arctic-breeding waders instead.
It is gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks with other Calidris waders, particularly Dunlin, on coastal mudflats or the edges of inland pools.
The Little Stint is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
[edit] Nesting
This bird nests on a scrape in bare ground, laying 3–5 eggs. It is polygamous, and male and female may incubate separate clutches.
[edit] Food
Food is small invertebrates picked off the mud.
[edit] References
- ^ BirdLife International (2004). Calidris minuta. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- ^ Jonsson, Lars (1996): Mystery stint at Groote Keeten: First known hybrid between Little and Temminck's Stint? Dutch Birding 18: 24-28.
[edit] Further reading
[edit] Identification
- Jonsson, Lars & Peter J. Grant (1984) Identification of stints and peeps British Birds 77(7):293-315
[edit] External links
[edit] Gallery
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winter plumage (March)
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adult in late summer
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Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus, Little Stint Calidris minuta & Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis in Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India.
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Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus, Little Stint Calidris minuta & Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis in Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India.
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Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus & Little Stint Calidris minutain Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India.
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