Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The Red-necked Stint is a tiny Asian shorebird rarely seen in the United States. Breeding adults have a rusty red face, throat, and upper breast.

Appearance

Appearance: It is about 6–7 in (15–17 cm) long, with a short dark bill and dark legs. Breeding adults show a rusty red face, throat, and upper breast.
Seasonal forms: Outside the breeding season, the upperparts turn gray-brown and the reddish throat fades.

Look-alikes

Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusilla

A breeding Red-necked Stint has a rich rusty red face and throat; a Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) lacks that solid red throat. Juveniles and winter birds are hard to separate from a single photo.

Why they get mixed upBoth are tiny dark-legged shorebirds that use muddy shores.

SanderlingCalidris alba

In summer, a Sanderling (Calidris alba) can also show rusty colors, but it is larger and has a thicker bill. A size comparison in the photo helps.

Why they get mixed upBoth can look rusty in breeding plumage on shorelines.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: western Alaska tundra
coastal mudflats
river mouths
Range: Small numbers nest in western Alaska. Most of the species winters in Southeast Asia and Australasia, while strays sometimes reach other U.S. coasts.
Seasonal presence: A scarce Alaska breeder and a rare visitor elsewhere in the U.S.

Behavior

Diet: In Alaska it picks small animals without backbones from tundra and muddy shores.

Life cycle

Nest: In the Arctic, the nest is a shallow dip in the ground lined with plants.
Clutch size: 3–4 eggs

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NTNear ThreatenedCould become threatened before long

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