Little Stint
Calidris minuta (Leisler, 1812)
LX
LITST
5010
Family: Charadriiformes > Scolopacidae
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.
Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Little Stint
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.
| UK Birds of Conservation Concern | Green listed |
| Species of European Conservation Concern | Least Concern |
| IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global) |
Least Concern 
|
| Schedule 1 license required (to disturb) | No |
| Birds Directive Annex 1 | No |
|
Listed on the Annexes of
|
Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA |
POPULATION SIZE
| UK (winter) | 8 (2012-17) |
| BOU Category | A |
|
First Record
|
Cambridgeshire, 1776 |
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.
-
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore. -
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Occupied 10-km squares in UK
| No. occupied in winter | 101 |
| % occupied in winter | 3.3 |
European Distribution Map
DISTRIBUTION CHANGE
More from the Atlas Mapstore.
| % 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
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Little Stint, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING
|
Number of Broods
|
1 |
|
Egg Size
|
29×21 mm Weight = 6.3 g (of which 5% is shell) |
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±5.4 | 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 |
For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name
Links to more studies from ConservationEvidence.com
- Use of Willapa Bay, Washington, by shorebirds and waterfowl after Spartina control efforts
- Rush cutting to create nesting patches for lapwings Vanellus vanellus and other waders, Lower Lough Erne RSPB reserve, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
- Managed realignment in the UK - the first 5 years of colonization by birds
Read more studies about Little Stint on Conservation Evidence >
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