OSME - Red-necked Stint in Israel

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The first Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis
in Israel

BARAK GRANIT AND JAMES P. SMITH

DURING THE MORNING OF 15 APRIL 2003, BG, Daniel Gelbart and Jonathan Meyrav were birding at Eilat’s north sewage ponds. A lone stint Calidris sp., initially found at close range by DG, after a short time was identified as a Red-necked Stint C. ruficollis by BG. He immediately telephoned the other birders present in the southern Arava, including Nir Sapir, Arnon Tsairi, and JPS, who after arriving at the site took a series of digital images through his telescope and thereafter additional images at various times during the day.

After associating mainly with Little Ringed Charadrius dubius and Kentish Plovers C. alexandrinus, the Red-necked Stint moved to Ein Evrona salt pools, about 1 km further north, and joined a small flock of c. 100 Little Stints Calidris minuta. The bird remained in the area until at least 22 April, when it was last reported (and photographed) by JPS. It was seen by most of the members of the Israel Rarities & Distribution Committee (IRDC).

As the bird was almost in full breeding plumage and views were generally excellent, the identification was relatively straightforward. Observers were able to acquire useful experience of some particularly interesting structural features that may help in the future detection of non-breeding plumaged Red-necked Stints in Israel.

Field description

Size, shape and jizz: Clearly a small, long-bodied, short-legged stint, with obviously long wings and a rather flat, oval-shaped body when observed from behind, at times recalling a small Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii. Body held at a slight angle, downwards towards its rear and the bird appeared ‘neckless’ in the field. Overall shape and impression was of a mini-Baird’s Sandpiper, rather than the taller, more compact and horizontal structure of Little Stint. The bill appeared somewhat shorter than Little Stint and less parallel-sided, being quite deep-based and pointed and slightly decurved at the tip.
Head: Crown appeared silvery whitish with dark streaks, becoming browner posteriorly, and contrasting with the reddish face. The dark eyestripe, which extended from the bill towards the rear upper corner of the earcoverts, was broader and more diffuse behind the eye and was invisible from some angles. Supercilium, ear-coverts, throat and upper breast were reddish, mottled with small white patches, especially on the breast. A small white ring surrounded the bill base. The nape was reddish brown with dark streaking.
Underparts: Diagnostic blackish ‘arrowheads’ were quite clearly visible below the reddish upper breast, especially on the breast-sides. The rest of the underparts were strikingly clean white.
Upperparts: Mantle grey, streaked dark, the scapulars having black centres and whitish fringes, some with rufous bases. Some of the lower scapulars were wholly grey with a narrow blackish line along the centre of each feather. Wingcoverts were cold, pale grey, affording a strong contrast with the reddish head. It is noteworthy that, from a distance, it was easier to detect the bird by the scaly appearance to the upperparts, rather than by its reddish throat, especially, of course, when the bird was seen from behind.

Occurrence and vagrancy

Well known as a long-distant migrant, Red-necked Stint breeds in north-east Siberia and northwest Alaska, and winters in south-east Asia south and east to Australia and New Zealand, but has occasionally been recorded in winter in eastern and southern Africa (Hayman et al. 1986). It is slightly surprising that such a highly potential vagrant had not previously been recorded in Israel (Shirihai 1996). It has occurred more than ten times in Europe, including six records from Britain (Rogers et al. 2002), and there are three previous Middle Eastern records, all from the United Arab Emirates, at Khor Dubai, in September 1994, and in the same place in July 1995 (Richardson & Aspinall 1998), with the most recent being one reported in Abu Dhabi, on 6–10 September 2001 (Balmer & Betton 2002).
The species has plausibly been overlooked in autumn in Israel, when its detection among large flocks of juvenile Little Stints would be difficult. That this bird first appeared alone and afforded excellent views greatly contributed to its detection, correct identification and documentation. The record awaits ratification by the IRDC.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special thanks to Kibbutz Lotan Centre for Birdwatching for their hospitality, and to Dan Alon of the Israel Ornithological Centre for his continued support of ornithological projects in southern Israel.

REFERENCES

BALMER, D. AND BETTON, K. (COMPILERS) (2002) Around the region. Sandgrouse 24: 76–80.
HAYMAN, P., MARCHANT, J. AND PRATER, T. (1986) Shorebirds: an identification guide to the waders of the world. Croom Helm, Beckenham.
RICHARDSON, C. AND ASPINALL, S. (1998) The Shell birdwatching guide to the United Arab Emirates. Hobby Publications, Liverpool & Dubai.
ROGERS, M. J. AND THE RARITIES COMMITTEE (2002) Report on rare birds in Great Britain in 2001. Brit. Birds 95: 476–528.
SHIRIHAI, H. (1996) The birds of Israel. Academic Press, London.

Barak Granit, 9 Einstein Street, Haifa, Israel.
James P. Smith, 157 Standon Road, Sheffield S9 1PH, South Yorkshire, U. K. (permanent address), or Kibbutz Lotan, D. N. Chevel, Eilot, 88855, Israel.

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	DURING THE MORNING OF 15 APRIL 2003, BG, Daniel Gelbart and Jonathan Meyrav were birding at Eilat’s north sewage ponds. A lone stint Calidris sp., initially found at close range by DG, after a short time was identified as a Red-necked Stint C. ruficollis by BG. He immediately telephoned the other birders present in the southern Arava, including Nir Sapir, Arnon Tsairi, and JPS, who after arriving at the site took a series of digital images through his telescope and thereafter additional images at various times during the day. After associating mainly with Little Ringed Charadrius dubius and Kentish Plovers C. alexandrinus, the Red-necked Stint moved to Ein Evrona salt pools, about 1 km further north, and joined a small flock of c. 100 Little Stints Calidris minuta. The bird remained in the area until at least 22 April, when it was last reported (and photographed) by JPS. It was seen by most of the members of the Israel Rarities & Distribution Committee (IRDC). As the bird was almost in full breeding plumage and views were generally excellent, the identification was relatively straightforward. Observers were able to acquire useful experience of some particularly interesting structural features that may help in the future detection of non-breeding plumaged Red-necked Stints in Israel.
Field description
	Size, shape and jizz: Clearly a small, long-bodied, short-legged stint, with obviously long wings and a rather flat, oval-shaped body when observed from behind, at times recalling a small Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii. Body held at a slight angle, downwards towards its rear and the bird appeared ‘neckless’ in the field. Overall shape and impression was of a mini-Baird’s Sandpiper, rather than the taller, more compact and horizontal structure of Little Stint. The bill appeared somewhat shorter than Little Stint and less parallel-sided, being quite deep-based and pointed and slightly decurved at the tip. Head: Crown appeared silvery whitish with dark streaks, becoming browner posteriorly, and contrasting with the reddish face. The dark eyestripe, which extended from the bill towards the rear upper corner of the earcoverts, was broader and more diffuse behind the eye and was invisible from some angles. Supercilium, ear-coverts, throat and upper breast were reddish, mottled with small white patches, especially on the breast. A small white ring surrounded the bill base. The nape was reddish brown with dark streaking. Underparts: Diagnostic blackish ‘arrowheads’ were quite clearly visible below the reddish upper breast, especially on the breast-sides. The rest of the underparts were strikingly clean white. Upperparts: Mantle grey, streaked dark, the scapulars having black centres and whitish fringes, some with rufous bases. Some of the lower scapulars were wholly grey with a narrow blackish line along the centre of each feather. Wingcoverts were cold, pale grey, affording a strong contrast with the reddish head. It is noteworthy that, from a distance, it was easier to detect the bird by the scaly appearance to the upperparts, rather than by its reddish throat, especially, of course, when the bird was seen from behind.
Occurrence and vagrancy
	Well known as a long-distant migrant, Red-necked Stint breeds in north-east Siberia and northwest Alaska, and winters in south-east Asia south and east to Australia and New Zealand, but has occasionally been recorded in winter in eastern and southern Africa (Hayman et al. 1986). It is slightly surprising that such a highly potential vagrant had not previously been recorded in Israel (Shirihai 1996). It has occurred more than ten times in Europe, including six records from Britain (Rogers et al. 2002), and there are three previous Middle Eastern records, all from the United Arab Emirates, at Khor Dubai, in September 1994, and in the same place in July 1995 (Richardson & Aspinall 1998), with the most recent being one reported in Abu Dhabi, on 6–10 September 2001 (Balmer & Betton 2002). The species has plausibly been overlooked in autumn in Israel, when its detection among large flocks of juvenile Little Stints would be difficult. That this bird first appeared alone and afforded excellent views greatly contributed to its detection, correct identification and documentation. The record awaits ratification by the IRDC.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
	Special thanks to Kibbutz Lotan Centre for Birdwatching for their hospitality, and to Dan Alon of the Israel Ornithological Centre for his continued support of ornithological projects in southern Israel.
REFERENCES
	BALMER, D. AND BETTON, K. (COMPILERS) (2002) Around the region. Sandgrouse 24: 76–80. HAYMAN, P., MARCHANT, J. AND PRATER, T. (1986) Shorebirds: an identification guide to the waders of the world. Croom Helm, Beckenham. RICHARDSON, C. AND ASPINALL, S. (1998) The Shell birdwatching guide to the United Arab Emirates. Hobby Publications, Liverpool & Dubai. ROGERS, M. J. AND THE RARITIES COMMITTEE (2002) Report on rare birds in Great Britain in 2001. Brit. Birds 95: 476–528. SHIRIHAI, H. (1996) The birds of Israel. Academic Press, London. Barak Granit, 9 Einstein Street, Haifa, Israel. James P. Smith, 157 Standon Road, Sheffield S9 1PH, South Yorkshire, U. K. (permanent address), or Kibbutz Lotan, D. N. Chevel, Eilot, 88855, Israel.