Red-necked Stints
Waders
The Red-necked Stint, Calidris or Erolia ruficollis, is a small wader.
This stint's breeding habitat is tundra in arctic north east Siberia. It nests on the ground. The Red-necked Stint is strongly migratory, wintering in south east Asia and Australasia as far south as Tasmania. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. It is often seen in western Alaska and occasionally elsewhere in the Americas.
These birds forage in wet grassland and soft mud, mainly picking up food by sight. They mostly eat insects and other small invertebrates. They are highly gregarious, and will form flocks with other Calidris waders.
These birds are very small waders, very similar to the Little Stint, Calidris/Erolia minuta, with which they were once considered conspecific (of, or belonging to, the same species). 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 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".
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