Red-necked Stint

1. Smallest migratory shorebird in Australia, with a short black bill and short black legs

2. Breeding adults have a rufous-red head and breast, non-breeding birds are grey-brown above and white below

3. No webbing between toes, and a high-pitched, raspy “krreeet” flight call

Breeding occurs in the Arctic tundra of Siberia and Alaska, where nests are shallow scrapes lined with leaves or grass. Both parents share incubation and care for the young. In Australia, they feed constantly by rapidly picking at the surface for small invertebrates, worms, crustaceans, seeds, and plant material. Red-necked Stints are highly gregarious, often forming large mixed flocks with other small waders. Females lay four eggs per clutch, and both parents incubate and care for the chicks. Some immature birds remain in Australia year-round, especially in inland wetlands

Red-necked Stints are widespread across Australia from August to April, frequenting intertidal mudflats, sheltered bays, lagoons, saltworks, and inland wetlands. They are often seen in dense, fast-moving flocks, especially on exposed mudflats at low tide or newly flooded inland areas after rain.