Red-necked stint

Red-necked stint
Winter plumage
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Scolopacidae
Genus:	Calidris
Species:	C. ruficollis
Binomial name
Calidris ruficollis (Pallas, 1776)
The Distribution of the Red-necked Stint Red Broken Lines = Estimated Range Green = Breeding Range Blue = Wintering Range
Synonyms
Erolia ruficollis

The red-necked stint (Calidris ruficollis) is a small migratory wader.

Description

These birds are among the smallest of waders, very similar to the little stint, Calidris minuta, with which they were once considered conspecific. The red-necked stint's small size, fine dark bill, dark legs and quicker movements distinguish this species from all waders except the other dark-legged stints. It measures 13–17 cm (5.1–6.7 in) in length, 28–37 cm (11–15 in) in wingspan and 21–51 g (0.74–1.80 oz) in body mass. It can be distinguished from the western sandpiper and the semipalmated sandpiper in all plumages by its combination of a fine bill tip, unwebbed toes, and longer primary projection.

The breeding adult has an unstreaked orange breast, bordered with dark markings below, and a white V on its back. In winter plumage identification is difficult, although it is shorter legged and longer winged than the little stint. Juveniles have more contrasting mantle plumage and weaker white lines down the back than their relative. The call is a hoarse "stit".

Distribution and habitat

Red-necked stints are strongly migratory, breeding along the Arctic littoral of eastern Eurasia and spending the non-breeding season in South East Asia and Australasia as far south as Tasmania and New Zealand. They are rare vagrants to western Europe. They are often seen in western Alaska and occasionally elsewhere in the Americas.

Behaviour

Red-necked stints are highly gregarious, and will form flocks with other small Calidris waders, such as sharp-tailed sandpipers and curlew sandpipers in their non-breeding areas. See it here with curlew sandpiper.

Breeding

Their breeding habitat is tundra. They nest on the ground and breed from spring to summer.

Diet

They forage in wet grassland and soft mud, mainly picking up food by sight. In their non-breeding habitat they feed on intertidal mudflats and along the muddy margins of freshwater lakes. They mainly eat insects and other small invertebrates.

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  eating

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  summer plumage

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  Scarborough, SE Queensland, Australia

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  eating

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  Red-necked stint

Further reading

• Jonsson, Lars & Peter J. Grant (1984) Identification of stints and peeps British Birds 77(7):293-315
• Alström, Per & Urban Olsson (1989) The identification of juvenile Red-necked and Long-toed Stints British Birds 82(8):360-372

External links

• Avibase
• Oriental Bird Images: Red-necked stint Selected images

• CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN 978-0-8493-4258-5.