Little Stint
Calidris minuta
The Little Stint (Calidris minuta) is a common sandpiper found in 150 countries, weighing about 21 g. The little stint is a very small wader.
About the Little Stint
The little stint 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. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific minuta is Latin for "small.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
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". 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.
What the Little Stint sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Canada, Panama, Mexico, Luxembourg, Liberia, Mauritius, South Sudan, Barbados, Guernsey, Northern Mariana Islands.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in September. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Little Stint?
- Its small size, fine dark bill, dark legs and quicker movements distinguish this species from all waders except the other dark-legged stints. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Little Stint?
- The Little Stint is a small sized bird weighing about 21 g.
- Where can you see a Little Stint?
- The Little Stint occurs in 150 countries, including Sweden, India, Spain, South Africa and France.
- What does a Little Stint sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Little Stint on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Little Stint?
- The Little Stint is most easily confused with the Curlew Sandpiper, the Red Knot and the Stilt Sandpiper.
- Is the Little Stint endangered?
- The Little Stint is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Little Stint for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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