Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta)
Long-toed Stint

Long-toed Stint

Calidris subminuta

The Long-toed Stint, Calidris subminuta, is a diminutive wader, a member of the sandpiper family. It is characterized by its notably long toes, a feature that distinguishes it from its congeners. Adults in breeding plumage exhibit a rich brown back with darker feather centers, while their underparts are white. They have a light line above the eye and a brown crown. In the non-breeding season, their plumage transitions to a more subdued grey. Juveniles are more vividly patterned with rufous tones and white mantle stripes.

Identification Tips

This small wader, measuring 13 to 16 cm in length, can be recognized by its yellowish legs and short, thin, dark bill. The long toes, particularly the middle one, are a key identification feature. The primary feathers reach the tail's end, and the bird has a brown crown with a pale streak above the eye. The upper parts are brown with darker feather centers, and the underparts are white with a speckled breast. The legs and feet are yellow, and the beak is dark brown with a lighter base on the lower mandible.

Habitat

The Long-toed Stint is found in a variety of wetland habitats, including shallow freshwater or brackish areas, lakes, swamps, floodplains, marshes, lagoons, and muddy shores. During the breeding season, it prefers tundra, taiga, open grassy bogs, or swamps with mosses, sedges, and dwarf willows.

Distribution

Breeding across northern Asia, the Long-toed Stint is a highly migratory species, wintering in South and Southeast Asia and Australasia. It is an occasional visitor to New Guinea and Australia and a rare vagrant to western Europe.

Behaviour

This species forages on mudflats, often picking up food by sight and sometimes by probing. It feeds on a diet of small crustaceans, insects, snails, and occasionally seeds. The Long-toed Stint roosts in hollows in soft mud or in low vegetation near its feeding areas.

Song & Calls

The Long-toed Stint's flight call is distinctive and serves as an aid in identification, helping to distinguish it from other sandpipers.

Breeding

Little is known about the breeding habits of the Long-toed Stint, but it is known to nest on the ground. The male performs a display flight, which is part of its breeding behavior.

Similar Species

The Long-toed Stint can be confused with the Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis), but it is more finely built and slightly smaller. It also differs from the Least Sandpiper, its North American counterpart, by its more slender, longer-necked appearance, longer toes, somewhat brighter colors, and weaker wingbar.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Long-toed Stint mainly consists of small crustaceans, insects, and snails. It forages by sight on mudflats and sometimes probes for food.

Conservation Status

The IUCN has classified the Long-toed Stint as Least Concern. The species has a very wide range and an estimated global population of 10,000 to 100,000 individuals, with around 25,000 breeding pairs. The population trend is currently unknown, and no significant threats have been identified.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Long-toed Stints on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Sandpipers, Snipes

A photo of a Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
BCHphotography_
Such a great app!
I didn’t think I could enjoy birding more but this app makes it so much better. Some great features and a really great way to share your sightings with your friends or fellow birders nearby or around the world! ❤️
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
Chudbond
Love Birda
I love this app. It really encourages you to log your sightings and the community is friendly and helpful.
Patricia L
Very encouraging birding app
Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
Birdafan
Ideal Birdwatch Companion
Simply adds to the enjoyment of my birdwatching and helps me record what I’ve seen.
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
D3Nature
Great app for learning Birds
I’ve been using the app for a couple of months and love it....Someone said it’s like a real life Pokémon Go for birds. They’re not far off! It’s something that the family can do that gets you out and about. Well worth downloading no matter your age.
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.