General

Little Stint: Medium-sized sandpiper with scaled-brown upperparts and white underparts. Face, neck, and breast are rust-brown with black spots. Back has white lines that form a distinctive V pattern in flight. Legs are black. Sexes are similar. Winter adult has dull brown upperparts and gray-brown streaks on white underparts. Juvenile has chestnut-brown wash on head and back.

Range and Habitat

Little Stint: Eurasian species. Breeds from Norway to Russian border, winters in Saharan Africa and India; also reported from Canada. Breeds on coastal and island tundra, often with willow scrub; found on sandy beaches, mudflats, and estuaries during winter.

Breeding and Nesting

Little Stint: Four olive green or yellow eggs spotted with red brown are laid in a ground scrape lined with willow and dwarf birch leaves. Incubation ranges from 21 to 23 days and is carried out by both parents; may incubate two clutches simultaneously. Young fly at 15 to18 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Little Stint: Feeds mainly on insects; also eats crustaceans and mollusks.

Vocalization

Little Stint: Call is a "chit" or "tit", repeated about three times.

Similar Species

Little Stint: Sanderling is larger and paler. Temminck's Stint has yellow-green legs.