Little Stint

Status The only record of this species for Nova Scotia is of a juvenile discovered by Ian A. McLaren at Hartlen Point, Halifax County, on 23 October 1983. Many others saw this bird during the next three days, and its identity was confirmed by photographs.

Remarks A close Old World relative of our Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers, it very rarely reaches North America; ours was the third Canadian record. The size of our Least Sandpiper (15-16 cm), it has black rather than yellowish gray legs, but in certain plumages it is very difficult to distinguish from another Old World species, the Rufous-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis). Juveniles show a considerable amount of chestnut about the head and mantle and have white lines at either edge of the mantle in a distinctive V pattern.