Rufous-necked Stint

L 14.5 cm (5.75"); WS 32 cm (12.5"). Forms a species pair with Little Stint. Very small, with short to medium-length, usually straight and blunt-tipped black bill, and medium-length black legs. Primary projection beyond tertials long. Sexes are of similar size; plumage varies seasonally and with age. In flight from above shows narrow white wing-bar and white sides to dark-centred rump. Feeds actively, picking form surface, occasionally wading.

Juvenile. Head pattern rather plain; supercilium diffuse, non-existent in front of eye and lacking obvious 'split' effect shown by Little Stint. Mantle and upper scapulars dark-centred with rufous fringes, indistinct (or absent) off-white mantle-V; lower scapulars have white fringes and lozenge-shaped dark centres (but less dark than Little Stint). Wing-coverts and tertials grey, with narrow, darker centres and whitish fringes, never as dark as Little Stint.

First non-breeding/adult non-breeding. Generally similar to Little Stint but rather more uniform and paler grey above. Has dark area from lores through eye to ear-coverts. Lacks breast band. First non-breeding retains juvenile wing-coverts; those of adult are greyer and less worn.

Adult breeding. Very distinctive, with whitish or dull red supercilium behind eye (depending on progress of moult or wear); face, throat and upper breast brick-red, bordered with a necklace of small black spots across upper breast. Broad grey or rusty fringes to black-centred upper scapulars and some tertials; indistinct mantle-V.

Rare passage migrant. Occurs on muddy or sandy shores of fresh and brackish lakes. No spring records. In autumn singles registered from mid-July to mid-September, in flocks of Little Stint.