Little Stint
Calidris minuta (Leisler, 1812)
LX
LITST
5010
Family: Charadriiformes > Scolopacidae
![Little Stint, Tom Cadwallender Little Stint, Tom Cadwallender](https://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/birdfacts/00176_Little%20Stint_Tom%20Cadwallender.jpg)
The smallest of our regularly occurring waders, the Little Stint is mostly recorded on spring and (especially) autumn passage.
About two-thirds the size of Dunlin (with which it is often found), Little Stint can be identified by its shorter, straighter bill. It is typically found on the edge of fresh or brackish water, running and pecking the mud.
Birds passing through Britain breed in northern Scandinavia and north-west Russia and winter in southern Europe and western Africa. One colour-ringed bird was marked on the west coast of Norway on 24 September then identified 3 days later in East Yorkshire having travelled over 1,000 km.
Identification
Little Stint identification is often difficult.
SONGS AND CALLS
Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Little Stint, provided by xeno-canto contributors.
Flight call
Song
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Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.
CONSERVATION STATUS
This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.
DISTRIBUTION
During the 2007–11 winter period, Little Stints were recorded from 108 10-km squares, mostly in the southern half of England and at coastal sites, though inland reservoirs and gravel pits were also utilised.
Occupied 10-km squares in UK
No. occupied in winter | 101 |
% occupied in winter | 3.3 |
European Distribution Map
DISTRIBUTION CHANGE
% change in range in winter (1981–84 to 2007–11) | +70.5% |
SEASONALITY
Little Stints are passage migrants, most often encountered in autumn when numbers are swelled by returning juveniles; small numbers winter.
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
RINGING RECOVERIES
View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.
Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland
![Foreign locations of Little Stint ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland Foreign locations of Little Stint ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland](https://app.bto.org/ring/countyrec/images/amap5010.png)
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Little Stint, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
SURVIVAL & LONGEVITY
View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report
Maximum Age from Ringing ![]() |
3 years 11 months 27 days (set in 1956) ![]() |
BIOMETRICS
Juveniles | 99±3.4 | Range 94-105mm, N=99 |
Juveniles | 23.9±5.4082 | Range 18.0–37.0g, N=96 |
Feather measurements and photos on featherbase
CODES & CLASSIFICATION
Ring size ![]() |
A2 or B2 |
Field Codes ![]() |
2-letter: LX | 5-letter code: LITST | Euring: 5010 |
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Links to more information from ConservationEvidence.com
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