Least Sandpiper
Calidris minutilla (Vieillot, 1819) (4, 1)
Photo © Bryan Thomas - Great Pool, Tresco, Isles of Scilly, 5 October 2011
STATUS
Nearctic. Monotypic.
OVERVIEW
Formerly known as the American Stint. The species was accepted by the BOU (1883) in their first List of British Birds.
Later, BOU (1971) stated four (1853-92).
RECORDS
1). 1853 Cornwall Mounts Bay, Marazion, shot, 10th October.
(E. H. Rodd, Zoologist 1854: 4296-97; Yarrell, 1856; E. H. Rodd, Zoologist 1870: 2273; Couch, 1878; Yarrell, 1871-85; Seebohm, 1883-85; Ed., Field 18th May 1889: 687; J. Clark & F. R. Rodd, Zoologist 1907: 286; J. Clark, Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall 17: 134; Penhallurick, 1969).
History E. H. Rodd of Penzance (1854) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. XII. pp. 4296-97 dated 27th March, 1854 says: 'I think that an undoubted example of this Tringa, new to the British Fauna, may be recorded as having been obtained from Mount's Bay during the month of October last; and having this day minutely examined the specimen as preserved by Mr. W. H. Vingoe, who shot the bird, and drew my attention to its specific value, I have no hesitation in sending to you a few particulars of this new Tringa. The bird was found singly in a piece of wet grass-land adjoining the sea-shore, and when it rose, Mr. Vingoe observed that it was silent; whereas in the other two species, viz., the Little and Temminck's Stints, he has always observed that both these birds uttered, on being flushed, a hurried repetition of a feeble note, which may be expressed by the word "weet".
The dimensions, &c., hereafter referred to, I have copied from Mr. Vingoe's written particulars, and which I have compared with the example with a view of testing their accuracy. Perhaps the most remarkable external differences are the superior dimensions of the feet, and the colour of the outer tail-feathers, which in this bird are light brownish grey; the same in Tringa temminckii being pure white: the general appearance of the bird is smaller than the other two, and the bill is rather longer and more deflected, with the point less obtuse and rounded. Although the dimensions of the tarsus perfectly agree with those of T. temminckii, the colour and shape of the tail are precisely similar to those of T. minuta. Mr. Vingoe's description of Tringa pusilla (minutilla): - "From the carpus to the end of the wing three inches and seven-sixteenths long, which is three-eighths of an inch shorter than that of the little stint, or of Temminck's Stint. Tarsus the same length as that of Temminck's Stint (eleven-sixteenths). The middle toe, claw included, full three-quarters of an inch long, which is nearly one-eighth of an inch longer than that of the Little Stint or of Temminck's Stint. Primaries only an eighth of an inch longer than the tertials, whilst in T. minula the longest primary is five-eighths of an inch longer than the tertials; and in Temminck's Stint the longest primary feather is half an inch longer than the tertials. Bill three-quarters of an inch long, a little curved and more pointed than in either the little stint or Temminck's Stint. Plumage, tail included, similar to that of Tringa minuta, but of a darker shade throughout. Legs greyish yellow". The first British example of this Tringa, shot in Marazion Marsh, near Penzance, October 10th, 1853, by Mr. W. H. Vingoe.'
Yarrell (1856, 2nd supp.) under 'Preface' p. iv, says: 'Examined minutely by E. H. Rodd and preserved by Mr. Vingoe, who shot it while in wet grass land adjoining the seashore. Mr. Vingoe on a visit to London allowed W. Yarrell to examine it in May, 1856. It is in Mr. Vingoe's collection.'
Couch (1878) stated the year erroneously as 1854.
Admitted by Howard Saunders (1882-84 (3): 396, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds as the first for Britain and (Seebohm 1885 (3): 213).
In an Editorial (1889) in The Field of 18th May, Vol. LXXIII. p. 687, on the sale of Vingoe's collection at Stevens, Covent Garden, in May, 1889, he says: 'Lot 9, a case of wading birds, including an American Little Stint, £15.15s.'
J. Clark (1907) in the Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, Vol. XVII. p. 134, under 'American Birds in Cornwall', says: 'One by W. H. Vingoe on Marazion Marsh on the 9th of October, 1853.'
2). 1869 Devon Northam Burrows, shot, 22nd September.
(E. H. Rodd, Zoologist 1869: 1920; E. H. Rodd, Field 23rd Oct., 1869: 347; M. S. C. Rickards, Zoologist 1870: 2025, 2385; Harting, 1872; Yarrell, 1871-85; Moore, 1969; Tyler, 2010).
History Edward Hearle Rodd of Penzance (1869) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. IV. p. 1920, dated 14th October, 1869, says: 'I have just seen the skin of an American Stint, which was shot at Northam Burrows in September. The owner, who shot it, saw that the bird was remarkable in flight and note, and compared it with the description in Newman's edition of Montagu's Dictionary. I have told Mr. Vingoe, to whom the bird was sent, and who has examined the specimen with me this evening, to desire the owner to communicate the case to The Zoologist, or let me do so.'
E. H. Rodd of Penzance (1869) in The Field of 23rd Oct., Vol. XXXIV. p. 347, says: 'A second British specimen of this little sandpiper (Tringa pusilla) was shot in September last on Northam Burrows, near Bideford, by Mr. Rickard, of Clifton. He sent the skin to Mr. Vingoe, of this place, naturalist, and he submitted it for my inspection. The tertiary quill feathers in this species are longer than those of the Little Stint by five-eighths of an inch, and longer than those of the Temminck's Stint by about half an inch. The beak too is different from the other two, being more tapering and deflected. The outer tail feather in T. temminckii is white, while in the American species it is of a pale hair brown; the length of the tarsus of the American species corresponds with the Temminck's Stint. The outer tail feathers of the Little Stint agree with the American Stint in colour, but the length of the tarsus is much superior.'
Marcus S. C. Rickards of Clifton (1870) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. V. p. 2025, dated 10th December, 1869, says: 'Mr. Rodd has asked me to communicate some particulars with reference to the American stint referred to by him in The Zoologist for December (s.s. p. 1920) which was shot by me on the 22nd of September last, and I have much pleasure in complying with his request.
I observed the bird on several successive mornings before I obtained it on a salt-marsh lying between Northam Burrows and the estuary of the rivers Taw and Torridge, and on every occasion it was alone. It seemed very active and restless, and was rather difficult of approach. When it rose it always repeated a short hurried note, similar to that of the other two species, though perhaps rather shriller and more frequently reiterated (differing in this particular from Mr. Vingoe's specimen, which was silent when it rose). Its flight was strong and rapid for so small a bird, and struck me as being something like that of the Common Sandpiper, which bird indeed (except with regard to the vibratory motion of the body peculiar to that species) it somewhat resembled in its movements when on the ground. It always flew away across the water out of sight and at a great height, but it invariably returned to the same spot where I had first observed it. I had no difficulty in identifying the bird as distinct from either of the two British species of stint, and a careful comparison of it with the description of Mr. Vingoe's specimen of the American Stint in Newman's edition of Montagu's Dictionary, led me to think that it would prove to be a second British specimen of that species - a supposition the accuracy of which was kindly tested and established by Mr. Rodd and Mr. Vingoe, to whom I sent it for inspection.
The specimen is now in my possession. It is a male bird, and as far as I can judge, in full plumage, which is of a very much darker shade throughout than that of Tringa minuta.
The measurements and description generally correspond pretty nearly with those of Mr. Vingoe's specimen, as given in Newman's Dictionary, though the difference between the species in question and the two British species appear perhaps to be a little more pronounced in my specimen than in his. One point alone of actual dissimilarity may be noticed, and this may be very likely owing to a diversity of age or sex. In his specimen the legs were greyish yellow; in mine they are greenish grey, strongly inclining to the former tint.
I think the occurrence of the bird may most probably be attributed to the prevalence of south-westerly gales, of which we had a succession for many days previously.'
M. S. C. Rickards of Clifton (1870) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. V. p. 2385, dated 24th September 1870, adds: 'Referring to your inquiry as to the species to which the American Stint shot by me at Northam Burrows belongs, Mr. Gould, to whom I showed the bird, considers it to be a specimen of Tringa wilsonii.'
Howard Saunders (1882-84 (3): 396, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds, says: 'In September, 1869, a second example was shot on Northam Burrows, near Bideford, by Mr. Rickards (Zool., s.s. p. 2025), who brought the freshly-skinned specimen to Mr. Harting for his inspection, and its identity was vouched for by that competent authority (Hbk. Brit. Birds, p. 143).'
Accepted locally (Moore 1969; Tyler 2010).
3). 1890 Cornwall Near Mousehole, shot, September.
(Anon., Transactions of the Penzance Natural History Society 3: 272; J. Clark, Zoologist 1907: 286; J. Clark, Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall 17: 134; H. F. Witherby & N. F. Ticehurst, British Birds 2: 268; Penhallurick, 1969).
History In an Editorial (1890) in the Transactions of the Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society, new series, Vol. III. p. 272, read on the 10th October, it says: 'Mr. T. H. Cornish mentioned that Mr. A. McFadyean had recently shot what was believed to be a very rare bird, an American Stint, now being set up by Mr. Rowe, of Heamoor.'
J. Clark (1907) in The Zoologist, 4th series, Vol. XI. p. 286, says: 'Another was killed by a fisherman near Mousehole in September, 1890, and bought in the flesh by W. E. Baily, of Paull, in whose collection the writer saw it in February, 1902, incorrectly labelled "Tringa minuta".'
J. Clark (1907) in the Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, Vol. XVII. p. 134, under 'American Birds in Cornwall', says: 'One taken by a fisherman near Mousehole, Penzance, in September, 1890. This specimen was purchased by the late W. E. Baily in the flesh.'
Admitted by H. F. Witherby & N. F. Ticehurst (1909) in British Birds, Vol. II. p. 267, under 'On the More Important Additions to our Knowledge of British Birds since 1899', who say: 'One was killed by a fisherman near Mousehole in September, 1890, and was bought in the flesh by W. E. Baily, of Paull, in whose collection the writer saw it in February, 1902, incorrectly labelled "Tringa minuta" (J. Clark, Zool., 1907, p. 286).'
Penhallurick (1969: 129) says: '1890, the third British specimen was obtained by fishermen near Mousehole in September. It was bought by W. E. Bailey of Paul in whose collection it was seen by [James] Clark in 1902 incorrectly labelled as a Little Stint.' Later, Penhallurick (1978) in his Supplement on p. 428, adds: 'Although the 1890 specimen was apparently discovered by Clark incorrectly labelled as a Little Stint, the bird was reported correctly on 10th October (Transactions of the Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society) as having been shot by Mr. A. McFadyean and "now being set up by Mr. Rowe of Heamoor".'
4). 1892 Devon Northam Burrows, seen, 16th August, shot, 22nd August.
(H. A. Evans, Zoologist 1892: 411; Anon., Proceedings of the Zoological Society 1893: 178; Saunders, 1899; Moore, 1969; Tyler, 2010).
History H. A. Evans of Westward Ho! (1892) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. XVI. p. 411, says: 'An example of the American Stint, Tringa minutilla, making the third occurrence of this species recorded in the British Isles, has been recently obtained here by Mr. W. B. Hawley. It was met with in exactly the same locality as the specimen secured by Mr. Rickards in 1869, but just a month earlier.
Mr. Hawley says: - "On the 16th of August last, a Stint rose close to me on the mudflats of the Northam Burrows. It flew with a zigzag flight, but not nearly so impetuously as the Little Stint. It uttered a note very like that of the Little Stint, but less loud. When it had flown about one hundred yards it was joined by a pair of Ringed Plovers, and the three birds then settled. I tried to get close to them, but they rose immediately and flew out of sight. On the 22nd of August, at about 8 a.m., I met with the bird again within a short distance of the place where I had first seen it. It rose silently from a little ditch, and I at once shot it. The irides were dark brown, the bill nearly black, and the legs and toes greenish yellow. It was evidently very fat".
Mr. Hawley did not attach any great importance to his specimen at the time, but two or three weeks later, on reading the account of Mr. Rickards's Stint quoted from The Zoologist under 'The Birds of Devon', it struck him that the bird in question might possibly be an example of the same species. The skin was accordingly sent to the Rev. Murray A. Mathew, who at once vouched for its identity. There were a number of Little Stints on Braunton Burrows about the same date.'
Anon. (1893) in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, p. 178, at a meeting held on 28th February 1893, says: 'Mr. Howard Saunders, P.Z.S., exhibited a specimen of the American Stint Tringa minutilla, Vieillot, shot by Mr. Broughton Hawley on 22nd August, 1892, at Northam Burrows, North Devon; being the second example obtained in that locality, and the third that had occurred in England. (cf. Zoologist, 1892, p. 411).'
Admitted nationally (Saunders 1899, 2nd ed.) and accepted locally (Moore 1969; Tyler 2010).
1950-57 RECORD
5). 1955 Shetland Pool of Virkie, Mainland, female, shot, 14th August, now at National Museums of Scotland (NMSZ 1956.8.2).
(T. Henderson, Fair Isle Bird Observatory Bulletin 3: 76; E. V. Baxter, Scottish Naturalist 69: 170; Eds., Scottish Birds 4: 504; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007).
History T. Henderson (1956) in the Fair Isle Bird Observatory Bulletin, Vol. III. p. 76, says: 'Mr. Sam Bruce, veteran Shetland ornithologist, obtained a specimen at the Pool of Virkie on Aug. 14th, the first Scottish record. The specimen is now in the Royal Scottish Museum study-collection.'
Accepted by E. V. Baxter (1957) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. LXIX. p. 170, under 'Review of Ornithological Changes in Scotland in 1956: Birds New to Scotland', who says: 'One obtained Pool of Virkie, Shetland, 14th August 1955. Now in Royal Scottish Museum.'
Accepted nationally as the first for Scotland (Forrester & Andrews et al. 2007).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1957 Devon Lundy, 24th to 26th August.
(B. Whitaker, Lundy Field Society Report 1957: 11; S. G. Madge, Devon Bird-Watching and Preservation Society Report 1957: 25; Moore, 1969).
[I. Farrell, R. Hibbert & P. Reay, Devon Bird Report 2001: 171; D. I. M. Wallace, C. Bradshaw & M. J. Rogers, British Birds 99: 463].
History B. Whitaker (1957) in the Lundy Field Society Report, p. 11, says: 'One September 24th to 26th. First record for Lundy. The bird arrived soon after there had been hurricane force winds in the west Atlantic, which may also have affected the eastern seaboard. A difficult bird to identify, but with such excellent views obtained (it was watched by myself (B.W.) and A. J. Vickery for a total of at least two hours at a range of from five to ten yards) there is little doubt as to its identity.
I have also examined skins of American and Little Stints in the British Museum and thereby confirmed the identification. It was first seen on September 24th feeding with Dunlin, when the black legs of the latter were contrasted with the moderately dark olive-yellow of the stint.
On this day three different call notes were distinguished: (i) a faint "peep" made at infrequent intervals when feeding; (ii) a dysyllabic repeated call "chi-peep" made when the bird was flushed, flew a few yards low over the water and landed again; (iii) a loud "cheep, cheep" made on one occasion when we drove it rather hard and it flew up to about ten feet and circled before landing again.
On September 26th it was seen in company with eight Little Stints and the following contrasts were noticed: smaller size, darker upper parts particularly on the head and nape, darker olive-yellow legs, cf. black of the Little Stint. The American bird was silent this day but flew round with the Little Stints which were making their "chit" call.'
D. I. M. Wallace, C. Bradshaw & M. J. Rogers (2006) in British Birds, Vol. XCIX. p. 463, in a review of certain rarities during the period 1950-57, found this record to be unacceptable.
