Little Stint

The little stint is a very small wader that breeds in arctic Europe and Asia and winters south to Africa and south Asia. A fine dark bill, dark legs, quick movements, unwebbed toes and a long primary projection distinguish it from other waders. Breeding adults have an orange wash on the breast, a white throat and a strong white V on the back; winter plumage is hard to identify. The call is a sharp stit (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks with other Calidris waders, particularly dunlin, on coastal mudflats or the edges of inland pools. It nests on a scrape in bare ground, laying three to five eggs, and males and females may incubate separate clutches. Its numbers depend partly on lemming cycles.