Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii (Leisler, 1812)

		spring plumage juvenile
2009-05-18 Sorbulak lake, Almaty oblast 2012-08-19 Sorbulak lake, Almaty region	© Nurlan Kalchinov © Vassiliy Fedorenko

Description

On head and fore-mantle the Temminck's Stint has feathers with black-brownish centers and broad gray-brownish edges. Rear part of mantle and uppertail coverts are grey-brownish; outer uppertail coverts are white. Head-flanks are grayish brown-mottled. Underparts are white; but craw and adjoined parts of neck and breast are grey-buff with dark streaks. Primaries are gray-brownish, secondaries are with white tips; core of first primary is white; other are brownish. Axillaries are white. Central pair of tail feathers is black-brown; next tail feathers are lightened from center to end; and outer pair is all-white. Bill is blackish, slightly paler on base. Legs are greenish-brownish. Eyes are dark-brown. Winter adults are brownish-grey above. Upperwing coverts are dark-grey white-tipped. Flanks of head and neck are paler and greyer than upperparts. Craw and fore-breast are grayish; other underparts are white. Juveniles are similar on winter adults, but its upperparts feathers are with narrow dark edge and pale-whitish border. Sizes: wing 80-105, tarsus 17-20, bill 15-20 mm. Weight 23-29 gr.

Distribution

Temminck's Stint occurs on migration on plain Kazakhstan everywhere, numerous in eastern areas and rare in western. Occasionally observed in mountains of Southern Altai on Markakol lake.

Biology

Temminck's Stint is common, in places numerous passage migrant. Occurs on muddy, sandy or saline soil shores of lakes, pounds and wet meadows. Spring records from mid-April - early May until end May - early June in small groups or flocks. In autumn adults appear in early - mid-July, juveniles begin migrate later, most of them in August - early September. Latest birds observed in mid - end September in northern areas and in end September - first decade of October in southern ones.

References

"Птицы Казахстана" том 2. Алма-Ата, 1962. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005.