Species:

Little Stint (Calidris minuta)

Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)

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Length (cm):
12-14
16-16
Wingspan (cm):
34-37
23-26
Weight (gram):
18-30
17-24
Size group:
Sparrow-size
Sparrow-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:

Very similar to Thrush Nightingale. Anonymous, indistinct plumage and secretive behaviour makes it an easily overlooked bird (except when singing). Tail rufous brown, upperparts warm brown. Underparts buff and white. Throat without streaking. Tail more rufous, and contrasts less with the warm brown back, than in Thrush Nightingale. Overall a more smooth and clean appearance. Thrush-like behaviour despite the small size, with jumping gait, erect posture, raised tail and drooping wings.

Sound:

Alarm call either a thin, flycatcher-like "weeet", or a Chiff-chaff-like "piuu". Also a characteristic (but similar to Thrush Nighitingale) dry, rattling, frog-like "rrrrr". The song is the best characteristic to separate it from T. Nightingale. It consists of extremely resonant, full-bodied notes and lacks the, dry, rolling, rattling sounds of T.N. Most distinct species specific sound is the interwoven series of slightly ascending, plaintive notes (0.04 - 0.10 in recording). May mimic Thrush Nightningale!

Song:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

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

Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Waders
Silhouette
Thrush-like
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file