It’s official, the red-necked stint is CLLMM’s favourite migratory waterbird for 2026! Thanks to everyone who voted in our poll this year to mark World Migratory Bird Day.
The red-neck stint, Calidris ruficollis, is a worthy winner as Australia’s smallest shorebird. It weighs just 25 grams and has a wingspan of 29-33 cm. But despite its small size it is a seasoned world traveller.
Red-necked stints breed in Siberia and Alaska (less often) before migrating south to Australia, generally arriving in August and leaving in February-March. They commonly travel through Japan, the Korean Peninsula, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and West Micronesia along the way.
Learn more about our waterbird research in the Coorong.
📷: JJ Harrison