Calidris temminckii
The Temminck's Stint (Calidris temminckii) is a diminutive and often understated shorebird, typically measuring 13-17 cm in length, with a wingspan of 27-33 cm and weighing a mere 20-35 grams. Its plumage features cryptic greenish-brown upperparts, finely streaked in breeding season, contrasting with clean white underparts and a distinctive plain, greyish-brown breast band that rarely extends to the flanks. Key identification marks include its relatively short, dark bill, short yellowish-gree...
This species primarily inhabits the wet margins of freshwater bodies in arctic and subarctic regions, favoring tundra, taiga, wet meadows, bogs, and the muddy edges of lakes, rivers, and slow-moving streams. It prefers low-elevation, open landscapes, often with scattered vegetation for cover.
The Temminck's Stint primarily consumes small invertebrates, including insect larvae, adult insects (especially dipterans and beetles), small crustaceans, and mollusks, which it procures by probing and gleaning from soft mud and shallow water.
Temminck's Stints are diurnal foragers, active throughout the day, often seen individually or in small, loose groups rather than dense flocks, though they may gather in larger numbers during migration. They employ a distinctive foraging strategy, methodically walking and probing the shallow mud a...
The Temminck's Stint boasts an extensive breeding range across the Palearctic, stretching from Scandinavia eastward through the vast expanse of northern Russia and Siberia, reaching as far as the Chukchi Peninsula and occasionally western Alaska. During the non-breeding season, these long-distanc...
Least Concern
- The species is named after Coenraad Jacob Temminck, a prominent 19th-century Dutch zoologist, who authored the "Manuel d'Ornithologie," one of the first comprehensive bird guides. - Unlike many other small waders, Temminck's Stint shows a strong preference for freshwater habitats rather than sa...