FIRST RECORD OF THE LITTLE STINT FOR MEXICO

MARSHALL J. ILIFF, 246 E. 16 thStreet, Unit B, Costa Mesa, California92627 BRIAN L. SULLIVAN, PRBO ConservationScience, 4990 Shoreline Highway, StinsonBeach, California94970 TONY LEUKERING,Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory,14500 Lark BuntingLane, Brighton,Colorado 80603 BRIAN P. GIBBONS, 7824 E1Pensador,Dallas, Texas 75248

ABSTRACT: A juvenileLittle Stint (Calidris minuta) occurredat EsteroPunta Banda,Baja California, Mexico, from 22 to 30 October2002. The LittleStint breeds in the northernPalearctic and wintersprimarily in Africa and India.Since 1975 it has been found with increasingregularity as a vagrantin the New World, primarily in Alaska.The observationwe reportis the firstrecord for Mexicoand the firstpho- tographicallydocumented record for MiddleAmerica.

The Little Stiat (Calidris minuta) is one of sevensmall similarly plum- aged arctic-breedingshorebirds known collectivelyin the United States and Canadaas peepsand in Britain as stints.Members of this group pose considerablefield identification challenges, the most difficultof which arise amongthe four small,black-legged species: the Semipalmated(C. pusilla) and Western(C. mauri) Sandpipersand the Little and Red-necked(C. ruff- collis)Stints, all of which are similarin size,structure, and plumage.

WORLD RANGE

The Little Stint is a long-distancemigrant breeding in the high Arcticand winteringprimarily in Africa.It hasa worldpopulation estimated at 1,434,000 (delHoyo et al. 1996). From Juneto Augustit breedsfrom northernScan- dinaviaeast throughnorth-central Siberia (del Hoyo et al. 1996, American Ornithologists'Union [A.O.U.I 1998), occasionallyas far eastas the Chukchi Peninsulaat Siberia'snortheastern tip (Russianliterature cited by Gibsonand Kessel1992). It wintersthroughout Africa and the Mediterraneanand east throughthe ArabianPeninsula and the PersianGulf to Indiaand Myanmar (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Zimmermanet al. 1996, A.O.U. 1998, Grimmettet al. 1999); it wintersrarely in Britainand southeasternMadagascar (del Hoyo et al. 1996). The LittleStint migrateswidely through Europe and westernAsia, typicallymoving south to southwestfrom its arctic breeding grounds. Increased attentionfrom birdershas revealedit to be rare but regularin Thailand(J. L. Dunnpers. comm.) and Hong Kong(spring only; Carey et al. 2001). Vagrants have occurredin the Cape Verde Islands,Iceland, the Faroes,Spitsbergen, Bear Island,Japan, Brunei,Papua New Guinea,and Australia(Hayman et al. 1986, Brazil1991); thereare no recordsfrom Greenland (Boertmann 1994). Fallmigration takes place from July through November, spring migration from April to earlyJune (Haymanet al. 1986). Juvenilesbegin their migrationin lateAugust, later than the passageof mostadults, which peaks during July and earlyAugust (Hayman et al. 1986). Manyimmatures remain on the wintering groundsthroughout their firstyear (delHoyo et al. 1996).

Western Birds 35:77-87, 2004 77 FIRST RECORD OF THE Lrl-FLE STINT FOR MEXICO

In the New Worldvagrant Little Stints have been increasing in frequency sincethe firstrecords in 1975 (Pellow1976, Byrd and Day 1986). Of 91 New World recordsthrough August 2004, 22 are for on the east coast, 34 for Alaska, and 18 for the west coast southof Alaska (Iliff and Sullivan in press).Outlying records have hailed from the interiorUnited States and Canada (7 records),Hawaii (3 records),Bermuda (1 record),Montserrat (1 record),Barbados (4 records),and SouthGeorgia Island (1 record;Iliff and Sullivanin press).The occurrencesof adultsin the New World peak from late April to early June and from mid-Julyto late August,while thoseof juvenilesextend from lateAugust to late October(Iliff and Sullivanin press). Althoughboth age classes have occurred on bothcoasts, juveniles have been detectedmore often on the westcoast (Iliff and Sullivan2004).

RESOURCES FOR FIELD IDENTIFICATION

The fieldidentification of the four speciesof smallblack-legged peeps re- mainsone of the morechallenging problems within the familyScolopacidae andthe genusCalidris. In particular,the Red-neckedand LittleStints can be sosimilar in basicplumage that evensome specimens have been considered unidentifiable.A classicexample illustrating the difficultyof thisgroup is a second-yearstint collected at the SaltonSea, ImperialCounty, California, 17 August1974 (Ericksonand Hamilton2001; San Diego NaturalHistory Museum38887). Althoughit was initiallyidentified as a Red-neckedStint (McCaskie1975), and the identificationwas supportedby Veit (1988), it is stillconsidered unidentifiable by the CaliforniaBird RecordsCommittee (Ericksonand Hamilton 2001). Similarly,the Semipalmatedand Western Sandpipersare sosimilar in basicplumage that their respective winter ranges were determinedonly recently(Phillips 1975). Wallace(1974) was the first to treat field identificationof smallCalidris sandpipersin depth.Jonsson and Grant (1984) andVeit andJonsson (1984) updatedand expandedon furtheradvancements in the subject;the former treatedthe issuefrom a Europeanperspective, the latterfrom a New World viewpoint.Identification criteria have changedlittle since,and readersare referred to those two excellent sources. Other excellent treatments of the field identificationof smallCalidris sandpipersare foundin the illustratedfield guidesby Jonsson(1993), Mullarneyet al. (1999), and Sibley(2000).

FIRST RECORD FOR MEXICO

At 1030 PDT 22 October 2002, we visitedthe southend of EsteroPunta Bandain northwesternBaja California to checktwo smallimpoundments for shorebirds.Sullivan brought the group'sattention to a smallpeep foraging on the shoreline10 m away;its features initially suggested the Semipalmated Sandpiper.We quicklyrealized that it wasneither a WesternSandpiper nor a LeastSandpiper (C. minutilla),and that the billappeared too slenderand the plumagetoo brightfor a typicalSemipalmated Sandpiper. Noticing the split supercilium,pale stripesor braceson the mantle, and unusualbreast pattern,Iliff tentativelyidentified it as a juvenileLittle Stint, and we imme-

78 FIRST RECORD OF THE LITTLE STINT FOR MEXICO diately unloadedthe vehicleto obtain photos and examine the bird more closely.Before any photoswere secured,the birdtook flight,circled around us,and settled again in the pondto the south.In flight,Sullivan and Gibbons notedthe bird'ssoft, repeated, "tsit" call. It took usapproximately 5 minutes to relocatethe bird, as it apparentlyhad shiftedto the far sideof the south pond. Once it was relocated,we were able to confirm that this individual possesseda suiteof field marksconsistent with a juvenileLittle Stint. The birdspent much of its time feedingalong the near edgeof the northpond and allowedus to approachwithin 5 to 10 m. Realizingthat this individual representeda first recordfor Mexico, we spentthe next hour observing, sketching,and photographingthe bird at closerange (Figures1-5). Other smallsandpipers with it included90 Dunlins(C. alpina), 35 Westernand 30 Least Sandpipers,nine Short-billed(Lirnnodromus griseus), and one Long-billedDowitchers (L. scolopaceus),as well as sevenadditional species of largershorebirds. RichardA. Erickson,Peter Gaede, RobertA. Hamilton, and MichaelSan Miguelnext visited the locationon 26 October2002. Awareof our sighting, the group searchedfor the Little Stint from 1345 to 1430 PDT but to no avail.The sameobservers returned the followingmorning and found the bird feedingand roostingin the samelocation where we had firstobserved it on 22 October.They studiedthe birdfrom 0630 to 0920 PST, and Hamilton recorded30 secondsof digitalvideo, including audio recordings of the "tsit" call.The sameobservers returned to the pondon 30 October2002 at 1300 PST and foundthe Little Stint stillpresent. The next searchesfor the stint were 29-30 November2002 by Kurt A. Radamakerand 18-19 December 2002 by Iliff and San Miguel,but the stintwas not seenagain.

Description The followingdescription was compiled with referenceto our fieldnotes and photographs.Topography follows Veit and Jonsson(1984). Size and structure. In direct comparison,the Little Stint was much smallerthan the Dunlinand slightlysmaller than the WesternSandpiper. In bodysize it closelyresembled the LeastSandpiper, but it differedin shape. Comparedto the squat,short-necked, and short-leggedlook of the Least Sandpiper,the Little Stint appearedlong-legged, long-necked, and long- winged,all of whichgave it a comparativelyslender appearance. This was especiallynoticeable when the birdtipped forward to feed,holding its wings and tail up at an angleof 20 ø to 40 ø, recallingthe feedingposture of the Stilt Sandpiper(C. hirnantopus;Figures 2 and 4). The Leastand Western Sandpiperspresent appeared proportionally shorter legged and assumeda more horizontalposture when feeding.The wingswere fairly long with at leasttwo primarytips visible beyond the tail tip and three primarytips visible beyondthe tertials(Figures 1 and 5). The bill shapewas distinctive,being fairly long (about2/3 head length) and almostperfectly straight (Figure 1). The tip of the bill droopedslightly, thoughthis featurewas not as pronouncedas on nearbyWestern or Least Sandpipers.Compared with that of the SemipalmatedSandpiper (though none was presentfor direct comparison),the bill appearedlonger, more

79 FIRST RECORD OF THE LITTLE STINT FOR MEXICO

Figure 1. JuvenileLittle Stint. Estero Punta Banda. Baja California. Mexico, 22 October2002. Sideprofile showing straight bill, bold head pattern, and the patterns of the scapulars.tertials, and upperwingcovert. A juvenileRed-necked Stint would not have as obviousa pale mantle "V," would lack the prominentsplit supercilium, would have plainer wing covertsand tertials,would be shorter-leggedwith a more squatappearance. and wouldaverage shorter and thicker-billed. Photo by Brian L. Sullivan

slender,and did not have a notably bulboustip. The bird's unusualbill structurewas the firstindication that this individualwas not a Semipalmated Sandpiperand, for Iliff, it immediatelyrecalled previous experience with Little Stintsin Africaand New Jersey. Severaltimes we carefullyobserved the feet--bestseen while the birdwas preeningor running--andwere ableto confirmthe lackof webbingbetween the toes.eliminating both the Semipalmatedand Western Sandpipers. Given similarviews of WesternSandpipers, we foundthe webbingbetween the toes easyto discern.In addition,we were able to confirm the presenceof a hallux,eliminating the largerSanderling (C. a!!oa),a speciesthat has been confusedwith stints(Figure 4). Plumage and soft parts. From itsuniform brightness and the warm color evidenton the upperbreast sides, crown, tertials, and wing coverts,the bird wasclearly still in fulljuvenal plumage (Figure 1). The wingcoverts had crisp and well-definedbuff edgingsto otherwisedark-centered feathers (Figures 4 and 5). Althoughlacking any freshpale grayof basicor winterplumage, the birddid appearto havebegun its postjuvenalmolt, havingone row of lower scapularsmissing.

8O FIRST RECORD OF THE LI'FFLE STINT FOR MEXICO

Figure 2. Juvenile Little Stint, Estero Figure 3. Juvenile Little Stint, Estero Punta Banda, Baja California, Mexico, Punta Banda, Baja California, Mexico, 22 October 2002 Feeding posture 22 October 2002. When viewed head emphasizing long. straight bill, pale on. the pattern of the split supercilium mantle stripes, flared tertials. and long became striking, as did the bold dark rear. central crown and clean white throat and lower malar region. The duskygrayish Photo by Brian L. Sullivan wash acrossthe upper breast was also evidentin this posture. Photo by Marshall d. Iliff

The headpattern was striking, particularly when the birdwas viewed head on (Figure3). A dark crownand eyelinewere setoff by a strongsupercilium and a narrowlateral crown stripe that mergedwith the superciliumabove and in frontof the eye.This head pattern, shared by severalspecies of sandpipers, is typicallyreferred to as a split supercilium(Veit and Jonsson1984). The superciliumextended from the upper edge of the baseof the maxillato well behindthe eye and broadenednoticeably behind the eye. The supercilium spliton the foreheadjust above the eye, and the muchnarrower pale lateral crown stripeextended parallel to the superciliumand endedat a point just belowthe rear crown.The superciliumand the lateralcrown stripe contained smalldark streaks. Though difficult to discern,these streaks were most promi- nent at the rear,where the superciliumblended into the nape and rear crown, and were lessnoticeable in the superciliumthan in the lateralcrown stripe. The forecrownwas pale, exceptfor a narrowstrip of dark leatheringextend- ing fromjust above the maxillato the crown(Figure 3). The entirecrown was dark, producinga cappedappearance. This dark crown was composedof dark brownfeathers, finely edged with rufous(Figures 2 and 4). At the rear

81 FIRST RECORD OF THE LITTLE STINT FOR MEXICO marginof the darkcrown patch was a rufous-orangeband, making the rear portionof the crownseem quite bright from certainangles (Figures 1 and 2). The loreswere darkwith a narrowmedium-gray line extendingthrough the eye,expanding slightly just behind and below the eyeand forming a gray triangularpatch on the lower auriculars(Figure 1). The pale gray, lightlystreaked hindneck and lower cheeksset off the prominentface pattern. The throatwas well defined and unmarked whitish. The belly,flanks, vent, and undertailcoverts were unmarkedpale or whit- ish. The upper breastwas crossedby a very faint smoothpale gray wash, forminga duskybreast band of mediumwidth (Figure3). The breastband was visiblein good light givenhead-on views, but it was pale enoughthat it was rarelyvisible at other angles.The faint breastband connected warm buff-orangeextensions on eitherside of the upper breast,above the wings, recallingthe pattern of the adultLittle Stint in alternateplumage. As on an adult,the warm buff area on the sidesof the breastwas markedinternally with some indistinctdark spotting.A fingerof white penetratedalong the leadingedge of the foldedwing, resultingin a fingerlikeextension of white into the dark upperparts,recalling the pattern of a basic-plumagedSpotted Sandpiper(Actitis rnacularius; Figure 4). The palegray hindneck contrasted strongly with the darkback. Some pale rufousedges on the back feathersremained, but it seemedthat mostedges had beenworn away. On eitherside of the back,a singlewell-defined line of white-tippedfeathers traced a white "V" pattern on the back, boldest on the lower mantle (Figure2). The upper scapularswere more strongly marked,being dark brown in the centersand retainingsubstantial orange fringes.The firstrow of lower scapulars(most distal) appeared quite pale, apparentlybecause the pale gray basesof these featherswere exposed. This pattern might have been due to the secondrow (next most proximal) of lowerscapulars having been dropped in the beginningsof a postjuvenal molt. Indeed,photos show just one row of lowerscapulars (Figures 1, 2 and 4). The lowerscapulars each appeared to havea prominentanchor pattern: theirbases were gray, their fringes were orangish, and their tips were medium brown with a darker brown shaft streak that widened to follow the contour of the featherand form an anchorlikeshape. The wing covertscontrasted slightlywith the rest of the upperparts,being medium brown with narrow buff to whitishfringes. The foldedwing showedprominent white tips to the greatercoverts. The mostproximal two or three mediansecondary coverts hada faintrufous tinge that set them off fromthe restof thewing. The tertials were worn but stillbrightly edged with rufous-buff.The shortest(innermost) tertialretained a fairlybright rufous-orange edge. The next tertial,distally, had a somewhatpaler fringe, with the next tertial being even paler and only faintlyedged with rufousor buff. The longesttertial seemed especially tatteredand retainedonly a worn whitishedge. The longestprimaries were visiblebeyond the tertialsand were dark, almostblackish, with very narrow pale fringesdetectable only underideal conditions. In flight,a fairlystrong white wing stripewas evident,though it was not noticeablydifferent from the similarpattern shown by Westernand Least Sandpipers.Photos show the underwingswere mostlypale, with pure white

82 FIRST RECORD OF THE LITTLE STINT FOR MEXICO axillarsand pale gray underwing coverts. The leadingedge of the underwing wasdark, penetratedby a narrowstrip of whitenear the body,and the outer three primarieswere mosfiypale whitishbelow with an extensivedark tip and narrowdark leadingedge. The tail wasdark centrally and at the tip but white alongthe basaledges, forming a "T" pattern.The rump was dark in the centerbut whitishalong the edges,as on all smallCalidris sandpipers exceptthe White-rumpedSandpiper (C. fuscicollis)and Temminck'sStint (C. temminckii). The eye,bill, legs, and feet were black. We scrutinizedthe softparts carefully to discemtrue skin color and to ruleout the possibilityof mudaffecting overall impressions.No mud wasvisible on the bill or legs(Figure 1). Voice. The Little Stint calledregularly throughout the observation,both in flightand duringterritorial disputes. While in flight, it gave a soft high- pitched "tsit" call, often more exaggeratedwhen it was chasingWestern Sandpipers.This callwas reminiscentof the flightcall of the Sanderlingbut higher-pitched. While feedingand defendingterritow alongthe shoreline,the LittleStint regularlygave a seriesof 7 or 8 high-pitched"twee" notes, run togetherin a seriesof approximately1.5 secondsduration. This call was reminiscent of similarcalls given by Semipalmatedand WesternSandpipers and also recalledthe beggingcall of a juvenileForster's Tern (Sternaforsteri). Behavior. During our 90-minute observation,the Little Stint spentabout 1/3 of its time roostingand 2/3 of its time feeding.When roosting,it as- sociatedmore closelywith a flockof approximately30 Dunlinsthan with nearbygroups of WesternSandpipers. It typicallyflew in to jointhe roosting Dunlins,positioned itself along the periphewof the flock,and restedon one legwith head tucked. At times,the birdseemed unsettled and periodically ran aroundthe perimeterof the roostingbirds. Typically, after 5 to 10 minutes restingit returnedto feeding. While feeding,it vigorouslydefended 15 m of shorelineagainst Western Sandpipers.It chasedLeast Sandpipers on severaloccasions but only once showedaggression toward Dunlins. Aggressive encounters usually involved the Little Stint flyingdirectly at the intruderand calling("tsit") repeatedly whilechasing it. The LittleStint usually abandoned the chaseapproximately 10-15 m outsideits favoredstretch of shoreline,then returnedto the de- fendedarea and resumedfeeding. Often thesechases involved an unusual flight,in whichthe Little Stint approachedan invadingCalidris with slow, laboredwingbeats. Leukering likened the wingaction to that of a displaying Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperi), and Gibbonsfound it reminiscentof breedingdisplay flights of other speciesof Calidris that he had observedon the northslope of Alaskaat PrudhoeBay. The uniquedefensive behavior of thisindividual set it apartfrom the othersmall Calidris sandpipers. When feeding,the LittleStint walked hurriedly along the shoreline,inter- mittentlypicking at the water'ssurface. It rarelypaused, and its head was in nearlyconstant motion (Figure5). This behaviorwas consistentwith the active,darting feeding behavior described in severalfield guides (Zimmerman et al. 1996, Grimmettet al. 1999, Sibley2000). The stintspent most of its time walkingin the shallowsabout 20 cm to 1 m offshore,often wading to

83 FIRST RECORD OF THE LrFrLE STINT FOR MEXICO

Figure 4. JuvenileLittle Stint. EsteroPunta Banda, Baja California, Mexico, 22 October2002. Sideview accentuatingthe rufousspotting on the sidesof the upper breast,dark auriculars,rufous patch on the rear crown,and pale hind neck. Photo by Brian L. Sullivan

Figure 5. JuvenileLittle Stint, EsteroPunta Banda, Baja California, Mexico, 22 October2002. Duringactive feeding, the birdlooked rather slim overall, long-necked and long-winged. Photo by Brian L. Sullivan

84 FIRST RECORD OF THE LITTLE STINT FOR MEXICO abovethe ankle.It rarelyfed in the wet mud abovethe water line, for less than 1 minute at a time.

ELIMINATION OF SIMILAR SPECIES

In the field we quicklyrealized that the Little Stint was one of the paler, grayer, black-leggedspecies rather than one of the browner speciesof Calidriswith yellowishor greenishlegs (i.e., LeastSandpiper, Temminck's Stint,or Long-toedStint). The distinctivecall and lack of vestigialwebbing betweenthe toes eliminatedthe Semipalmatedand WesternSandpipers. Thosespecies were alsoruled out by plumagecharacters, notably by the combinationof the split supercilium,the white mantle stripes,the rich, spottedcolor on the chestcontrasting with a whitethroat, and the extensive orangefringing on the covertsand tertials. Additionally, the long-leggedlook and slender,straight, fine-tipped bill was unlikethe shapeof Westernand SemipalmatedSandpipers. A juvenileRed-necked Stint was considerablymore difficultto eliminate. The stintwe observedshowed a patternon the breastrecalling that of an adultLittle Stint in breedingplumage: the white throat contrastedstrongly with a lobeof orangishcolor, with blackishinternal spotting, extending onto the sidesof thebreast. The juvenileRed-necked Stint has a grayishbreastband withfaint streaks on the sides.The splitsupercilium is anotherfeature shown by the Littlebut not the Red-neckedStint. The well-markedupperparts were distinctiveas well, with pale mantle stripes setting off extensiveorange fringes on the covertsand tertials.The Red-neckedStint tends to be duller above, lackingprominent white stripes on the mantleand having pale greater coverts and tertialsthat show an obviousshaft streak and lack the colorfuledges. The call note, a high "tsit,"was unlikecalls given by the Red-neckedStinit: a raspy"quiit" (Sibley 2000) or "chriit"(Mullarney et al. 1999) or a dry, fiat "chut"without the piercingquality of a Little Stint'scall (Veit and Jonsson 1983). Structuralfeatures provided a final clue.The long-leggedlook and long slenderbill gave an appearanceunlike the squat,shorter-legged, and shorter-billed look of the Red-necked Stint.

DISCUSSION

The LittleStint at EsteroPunta Banda represents the firstrecord for Middle America and the southernmostrecord on the North American mainland;in the New Worldonly records from Barbados, Montserrat, and South Georgia Islandare more southerly(Iliff and Sullivan2004). Other than a specimen collected21 November1988 at Harper Dry Lake, California,a bird that may have been attemptingto winter (Heindeland Garrett 1995), the Little Stint at Estero Punta Banda is the latest recorded in North America. Since the shorebirdnumbers and speciespresent on 22 October2002 at Estero Punta Bandawere typicalof midwinter,we consideredthe possibilitythat the Little Stint might attemptto winter locally.A midwintervisit, however, failedto locatethe bird,although relocating it wouldprove difficult if the bird movedaway from the smallponds where it wasfirst discovered. The estero

85 FIRST RECORD OF THE LITTLE STINT FOR MEXICO encompassesseveral square kilometers of suitablemudfiat and marshthat harborsseveral thousand wintering peeps; a winter-plumagedLittle Stint wouldbe exceedinglydifficult to detectat any distance.

LITERATURE CITED

AmericanOrnithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-Listof North AmericanBirds, 7th ed. Am. Ornithol.Union, Washington,D.C. Boertmann, D. 1994. An annotatedchecklist to the birdsof Greenland.Meddelelser om Grinland. Bioscience 38:2-63. Brazil,M. A. 1991. The Birdsof Japan.Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington, D.C. Byrd,G. V., and Day, R. H. 1986. The avifaunaof BuldirIsland, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Arctic 39:109-118. Carey,G. C., Chalmers,M. L., Diskui,D. A., Kennerley,P. R., Leader,P. J., Leven, M. R., Lewthwaite,R. W., Melville,D. S., Turnbull,M., andYoung, L. 2001. The Avifaunaof Hong Kong. Hong KongBirdwatching Soc., Hong Kong. Del Hoyo, J., Elliot,A., and Sargatal,J., eds. 1996. Handbookof the Birdsof the World.Hoatzin to Auks.Lynx Edicions,Barcelona. Erickson,R. A., and Hamilton,R. A. 2001. Reportof the CaliforniaRecords Com- mittee: 1998 records. W. Birds 32:13-49. Gibson,D. D., and Kessel,B. 1992. Seventy-fournew avian taxa documentedin Alaska 1976-1991. Condor 94:454-467. Grimmett,R., lnskipp,C., and lnskipp,T. 1999. A Guide to the Birdsof India, Pakistan,Nepal, Bangladesh,Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maidives.Princeton Univ. Press,Princeton, N.J. Hayman,P., Marchant,J., and Prater,T. 1986. Shorebirds:An IdentificationGuide to the Wadersof the World. HoughtonMifflin, Boston. Heindel, M. T., and Garrett, K.L. 1995. Sixteenthannual report of the California Bird Records Committee. W. Birds 26: 1-33. Iliff, M. J., and Sullivan,B. L. 2004. Little Stint in North America and the Hawaiian Islands: A review of status and distribution. N. Am. Birds 58:316-323. Jonsson,L. 1993. Birdsof Europe,with NorthAfrica and the MiddleEast. Princeton Univ. Press,Princeton, N.J. Jonsson,L., and Grant, P. J. 1984. Identificationof stintsand peeps. Br. Birds 77:293-315. McCaskie,G. 1975. A Rufous-neckedSandpiper in southernCalifornia. W. Birds 6:111-113. Mullarney,K., Svensson,L., Zetterstr6m,D., andGrant, P. J. 1999. Birdsof Europe. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, N.J. Pellow, K. 1976. A Little Stint in Bermuda. Am. Birds 30:918. Phillips,A. R. 1975. SemipalmatedSandpiper: Identification, migrations, summer and winter ranges.Am. Birds29:799-806. Sibley,D. A. 2000. The SibleyGuide to Birds.Knopf, New York. Veit, R. R. 1988. Identificationof the SaltonSea Rufous-neckedSandpiper. W. Birds 19:165-169.

86 FIRST RECORD OF THE LITTLE STINT FOR MEXICO

Veit, R. R., and Jonsson,L. 1984. Field identificationof smallersandpipers within the genusCalidris. Am. Birds38:853-876. Wallace,D. I. M. 1974. Fieldidentification of smallspecies within the genusCalidris. Br. Birds 67:1-17. Zimmerman, D. A., Turner, D.A., and Pearson, D.J. 1996. Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania. PrincetonUniv. Press,Princeton, N.J.

Accepted22 August 2004

87