The First and Second Records of Temminck’s Stint (Calidris temminckii) in British Columbia. By Rick Toochin and Don Cecile. Revised: May 15, 2024.

The Temminck’s Stint (Calidris temminckii) is a small sandpiper that is found breeding in forest-tundra and on sparse grasslands such as those backing on beaches, along lakes and rivers from Siberia, in the Northern Yakutia, Chukotka and Koryakia regions east, across Russia to Scandinavia and Scotland (Brazil 2009, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). This is a highly migratory species that uses mudflats and coastal wetlands, but favours inland freshwater wetlands, pools and marshes (Brazil 2009, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). Spring migration occurs March and April and mid-May into early June, with the migration peak mid-April and mid-May (Hayman et al. 1986, O’Brien et al. 2006). Birds breeding in Europe arrive on breeding grounds in the second half of May and birds breeding in Siberia arrive on their breeding grounds in late May into early June (O’Brien et al. 2006). The fall migration period takes place in early July and extends into early November (O’Brien et al. 2006). Adult birds leave the breeding grounds July and August, before the young have fledged (Hayman et al. 1986, O’Brien et al. 2006). Adult numbers peak throughout temperate Europe from late July through August (O’Brien et al. 2006). Adult birds arrive on the wintering grounds from August through September, with the majority of birds appearing in September (O’Brien et al. 2006). Juvenile birds head south from their natal grounds in the first half of August and have been recorded passing through Europe and Turkey through late September and early October (O’Brien et al. 2006). The juvenile birds arrive on the wintering grounds a bit later than the adults with this period extending into early November (O’Brien et al. 2006). The Temminck’s Stint winters in varying numbers from southern China, Taiwan, Japan, with the bulk of the population wintering from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, parts of Indonesia, Burma, Bangladesh, India, Greece, Nile River basin, Arabian Peninsula, and west Africa (Hayman et al. 1986, Message and Taylor 2005, O’Brien et al. 2006). Vagrants have been found on the Azores, Canary Islands, and East Africa through Zambia, the Seychelles, the Maldives, the Philippines, and Borneo (Hayman et al. 1986).

 

The only region in North America that this species occurs with any frequency is Alaska where the Temminck’s Stint is a very rare spring and casual fall migrant in the Western and Central Aleutian Islands, the Pribilof Islands, also both St. Matthew and St. Lawrence Islands (West 2008). Elsewhere in the state, this species is a casual vagrant along the North Coastal region with records from Barrow and the Colville River Delta (West 2008). South of Alaska, the Temminck’s Stint is an accidental vagrant with photographed fall records for British Columbia (Campbell et al. 1990b) and Ocean Shores, in Grays Harbor County, on November 9-10, 2005 (Mlodinow et al. 2006). There are no confirmed records of Temminck’s Stint for Oregon (OFO 2016) or for California (Hamilton et al. 2007, Tietz and McCaskie and 2017)  

 

The identification of the Temminck’s Stint is covered in most standard North American field guides. This is a small sandpiper that is overall slightly larger than a Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla), but has an elongated and stocky-body shape, is short-legged and has a tail that projects longer than the folded primary tips (Jonsson 1992). Please read Veit and Larsson (1984), Paulson (2005) for an in-depth description of the Least Sandpiper. The Temminck’s Stint measures 12-14 cm, with a wingspan of 28.5-31.5 cm, and weighs 24 grams (Jonsson 1992, Paulson 2005). This species is found as a single or in small flocks even where they are commonly found (Jonsson 1992, Paulson 2005). The Temminck’s Stint feeds high on the mudflats or in marsh vegetation which is also favoured by the Least Sandpiper (Jonsson 1992, Paulson 2005). This species creeps along the edge of vegetated marshes and tends to occur at small water bodies (Jonsson 1992, Paulson 2005, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). When flushed the Temminck’s Stint rises rapidly and jerkily upwards normally calling constantly (Jonsson 1992).

Like any small “peep”, understanding how to age a suspected a bird is the first step in securing the identification (Veit and Jonsson 1984).

 

Adults acquire breeding plumage through a partial molt including most body feathers, wing-coverts, and central tail feathers, between the months February to May (Veit and Jonsson 1984). In breeding plumage the upper-parts are often variable, mixed with a mixture of grey winter-type feathers and summer feathers, which have a blackish-centre, with pale chestnut fringes and off-white tips (Message and Taylor 2005).  The sides of the neck are mottled buff and grey-brown, with darker streaks and the rest of the under-parts are white (Message and Taylor 2005, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The bill is small with a thick base and thinner tip (Message and Taylor 2005). There is a distinct white eye-ring around the dark eye (Larsson 1992, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). In flight, wings are dark with a distinct white wing strip (Larsson 1992, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The outer tail feathers are white from the base to the tip with the central section of the tail dark (Larsson 1992, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The legs are yellow-tinged (Message and Taylor 2005).

 

Adults acquire basic (also called winter) plumage by a complete molt of the body plumage from July to September (Veit and Jonsson 1984). The primary molt might be arrested and then completes in April (Veit and Jonsson 1984). Birds in winter plumage are overall a uniformly dull dark neutral grey-brown on upperparts and breast, with a pure white belly and vent (Message and Taylor 2005). The uniformity of the colouration on the breast gives birds in this plumage a hooded appearance (Veit and Jonsson 1984). The bill is dark with a light base to the bill (O’Brien et al. 2006). There is a distinct white eye-ring around dark eyes (O’Brien et al. 2006). The legs and feet are yellowish (Message and Taylor 2005).

 

Juvenile plumage is the most distinct of all the plumages for this species (Veit and Jonsson 1984). There are dark sub-terminal bars and buff fringes on the mantle (Veit and Jonsson 1984). The sub-terminal bars on the uppermost scapulars are the broadest, producing a dark-spotted effect (Veit and Jonsson 1984, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). There is an olive cast to the entire plumage, and the feathers also lack extensive dark centers (Veit and Jonsson 1984, Hayman et al. 1986). The head is uniform, lacking any distinct pattern (Veit and Jonsson 1984, Hayman et al. 1986). There is a pale supercilium that extends slightly beyond the eye (Veit and Jonsson 1984). There is a darkish line from the base of the bill to the eye (Jonsson 1992, Message and Taylor 2005). Around the eye, as in other ages, there is a distinct white eye-ring (Paulson 2005). There is a brownish wash on the upper breast that extends down the sides of the neck (Larsson 1992, Paulson 2005). The breast and vent is white (Hayman et al. 1986). The legs are yellow-tinged (Hayman et al. 1986).

 

The Temminck’s Stint, when flushed into flight, makes a distinct, loud, dry trilling sound, usually patterned “tirrr-tirrr-tirrr” (Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). This is very obvious and different from all regularly occurring North American Sandpipers (Veit and Jonsson 1984).

 

The Temminck’s Stint is an accidental vagrant in British Columbia with 2 photographs records for the Province. The first was a photographed  juvenile bird found at the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, in Ladner, September 1-4, 1982 (Kautesk et al. 1983, Campbell et al. 1990b). The timing of the Temminck’s Stint at the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, in Ladner fits perfectly into the fall migration pattern of juvenile birds (O’Brien et al. 2006). This particular bird frequented a brackish slough in the sanctuary, which was one kilometer in length by 6-9 meters in width (Kautesk et al. 1983). The Temminck’s Stint was in the company of a small mixed flock of Least Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri), Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla), and several Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) (Kautesk et al. 1983). The stint was often seen keeping close company with a Least Sandpiper that afforded close comparisons for the observers (Kautesk et al. 1983). Incredibly, close-up photographs were taken by several observers, including photographs of the bird in the direct company of a juvenile Least Sandpiper, which helped to document this extraordinary record (Kautesk et al. 1983, Paulson 1995, Campbell et al. 1990b). The second was a bird photographed by Gordon Hart on May 10, 2024 at Panama Flats in Saanich near Victoria British Columbia. This bird was not initially identified by the original observer and was independently found and photographed by Joachim Bertrands and Sean McElaney on May 11, 2024 at the same location (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.). The birds again found by many observers on May 12-13, 2024 (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.). This is the first spring record away from Alaska on the west coast of North America (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.).

 

Keen observers should watch for this species from May into early June and July through early December in appropriate habitat in well-known shorebird vagrant traps anywhere in British Columbia. It is likely the odd vagrant bird will eventually be found somewhere in the province in the future.

We wish to thank Barbara McKee for editing the manuscript. Also wish to thank Geoffrey Newell for sharing his picture of the Temminck's Stint that was found at Panama Flats in Saanich.

 

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