Red-necked Stint

Red-necked Stint (Image ID 50436)
Photographed byMichael Hamel-Green on Mon 21st Feb, 2022 and uploaded on Wed 23rd Feb, 2022 .
Resolution1800x1082
Viewed371
ID50436
CommentThis Red-necked Stint, the tiniest (just a hand-length’s long) of our visiting migratory shorebirds, commutes 11,000 km every year between the Siberian Arctic and our Australian shores. They are particularly partial to tidal flats. This Red-neck was in a large flock working their way over shallow waters and mudflats as the tide receded along the Werribee WTP shoreline. It is still in its grey and white non-breeding plumage, not as yet sporting the eponymous red-neck “Sunday best” that it puts on for breeding. The flock alternated between engaging in feeding frenzies in the shallows and wrack, jerkily moving this way and that, and then resting occasionally, huddled together on nearby rocks. The most recent 2020 Action Plan for Australian bird reports that they are a “near-threatened” species, with the Australian population declining by about 30% in three generations (13 years). The threats that this tiniest of our migratory visitors confront are the usual suspects: climate change and drought in Australia, and destruction and pollution of their stop-over habitats along their migratory flyways. They will be heading off on their intrepid flights north within the next month or two. I, for one, will miss you, little Red-necks, over our Australian winter, and hope against hope we will see as many of you again next Spring.
EquipmentNikon Z7ii, Nikon 500mm PF f5.6 TC1.4
700mm
ISO 1250
1/4000th f8
LocationWestern Treatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria
Keywordsadult, non-breeding plumage/colours
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