Calidris minuta
The Little Stint (Calidris minuta) is an endearing and diminutive shorebird, measuring merely 13-15 cm (5.1-5.9 inches) in length with a wingspan of 28-31 cm (11-12 inches) and weighing 20-30 g (0.7-1.1 oz). In its striking breeding plumage, adults sport a rufous-washed crown, cheeks, and breast, contrasting sharply with a pale supercilium and dark-streaked upperparts. Non-breeding birds are plainer, exhibiting grey-brown upperparts and clean white underparts, while juveniles show a distinct ...
This adaptable species primarily breeds on the Arctic tundra, particularly in damp mossy areas with sparse vegetation. During migration and winter, it favors coastal mudflats, estuaries, lagoons, salt marshes, and the muddy edges of freshwater lakes and reservoirs, typically at sea level or low e...
Little Stints are insectivores and carnivores, primarily feeding on a diverse range of small invertebrates including insect larvae and adults (especially dipterans), small crustaceans, mollusks, and annelid worms, which they glean and probe from muddy substrates.
Little Stints are primarily diurnal foragers, actively probing and pecking for small invertebrates in soft mud and shallow water, often employing a rapid 'stitching' motion of the bill. On the breeding grounds, males establish small territories and engage in elaborate aerial displays, soaring and...
The Little Stint boasts an extensive, discontinuous breeding range across the high Arctic tundra of Eurasia, from northern Scandinavia eastward across vast stretches of Siberia to the Anadyr River basin. Post-breeding, these tenacious migrants embark on prodigious journeys, primarily wintering in...
Least Concern
- The Little Stint is one of the smallest wading birds in the world, renowned for its dainty size. - Despite its diminutive stature, it undertakes one of the most epic migrations, traveling thousands of kilometers between Arctic breeding grounds and tropical wintering areas. - Males often take on...