'possible' Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta)

11th May 2003 - Ketura sewage pools near Lotan.

This stint immediately attracted my attention as being something highly unusual, especially in its sandpiper like proportions. The tibia were extremely long in direct comparison to Little Stint (Calidris minuta), giving the bird an almost crake like jizz when walking on the mud and landing.

Closer inspection revealed a number of features that look good for Long-toed Stint.

1. 1) In photo A, the toes can be seen clearly projecting beyond the longest tail feathers in flight.
   
2. 2) In photo B, appears to show a distinct pale greenish base the both lower and upper mandibles.
   
3. 3) In photo C, head detail shows the dark on the crown extending over the forehead to the bill base and joining the loral stripes. The legs also appear particularly yellowish toned here.
   
4. 4) In photo D, the tertial fringes look broad and even throughout, and again the tibia look incredibly long for a stint.
   
5. 5) In photo E, looks long toed and long legged.
   
6. 6) In photo F, again sandpiper like jizz, recalling Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and again long toes, though latter is said to be of little value in the field.

The exact leg colour was difficult to define since most of the stints here had mud stained legs, however there does appear to be a yellowish base to the leg colour especially around the upper tarsus. The base of the lower mandible is also undoubtedly greenish and not black throughout.

I am not so happy with the apparent primary projection, however so many features appear to point towards Long-toed Stint that I felt it worthwhile putting out a general alert.

There is only one previous Israel record of this species, of a bird trapped in Eilat on 25th August 1991 and actually very few other West Palearctic records. With this in mind, I'm expressing extreme caution about the identification and this is far from a full claim.

Good luck,

James P. Smith & The Birdingisrael Team

Click a thumbnail to enlarge (+)
a	b	c
d	e	f

* We now added a series of four pictures of the 'possible' Long-toed Stint taken on the same day and venue.

Good luck,

James P. Smith & The Birdingisrael Team

Contact info

Daphna Abell
Program Coordinator
lotan-programs@lotan.ardom.co.il
Tel: +972 8 6356935;
Toll Free: 1800 2000 75 (when in Israel)