Species:

Little Stint (Calidris minuta)

Merlin (Falco columbarius)

Change species:
Main Images:
Next species:
Length (cm):
12-14
25-30
Wingspan (cm):
34-37
50-62
Weight (gram):
18-30
125-300
Size group:
Sparrow-size
Thrush-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

A small compact wader with dark legs and short, almost straight dark bill. Noticeably smaller than Dunlin, and with shorter, and straighter bill. Similar in size to Temminck's Stint, but legs dark, tail shorter (and grey) and markings on back less plain. Juveniles with prominent white V on back, and split white supercilium. Upperparts of adults rufous brown in summer, and light grey in winter.

Sound:

Contact call a quite soft, short, high pitched "pit". Sometimes uttered in series, or as soft chattering. Song a cyclic series of thin "peee-peee-peee" rising and falling in pitch.

Contact call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Andrew Spencer,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license

Appearance:

Smallest falcon. Male with slate grey upperparts, and pinkish buff, speckled underparts . Female dark brown above and heavily speckled below. Due to the extensive markings, the underparts give a darker impression than in Kestrel. Tail of female with dark broad bands, tail of male with broad black terminal band. Diffuse facial markings. Short wings. Silhouette similar to Peregrine, but the much faster wing beats are diagnostic. Acrobatic flight with sharp twist and turns when chasing prey. Alternating glides and bursts of wing-beats gives undulating flight.

Sound:

Series of harsh "kwik-wik wik". Coarseness similar to Peregrine, but pace much quicker. Female call harsher than male. Lacking the clearer tones and attack of Kestrel.

Alarm call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Thijs Fijen, Licence,Link.

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Waders
Silhouette
Raptors
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file