When the stints find the spotlight

When the wintering season kicks in, the stints would be as inconspicuous as stars on a night sky pregnant with rain clouds. They would look toned-down and in wetlands such as the one at Perumbakkam and Kelambakkam, they would be shoved further into obscurity on account of their company, having been outsized by other waders. At the tail-end of the season, when the attendance of migratory birds at these wetlands thins, they find their spotlight. Without the distractions, they are now more easily noticed. Besides, the washed-out look at the start of the season disappears in parts — particularly on the mantle that takes on a russet hue. The picture shows a Temminck’s stint at the Kelambakkam backwaters at a low-tide hour on April 18, 2025. Among features that distinguish a Temminck’s stint from a Little stint is the latter’s yellow legs. The Little stint sports dark, black legs.

When the wintering season kicks in, the stints would be as inconspicuous as stars on a night sky pregnant with rain clouds. They would look toned-down and in wetlands such as the one at Perumbakkam and Kelambakkam, they would be shoved further into obscurity on account of their company, having been outsized by other waders.

At the tail-end of the season, when the attendance of migratory birds at these wetlands thins, they find their spotlight. Without the distractions, they are now more easily noticed. Besides, the washed-out look at the start of the season disappears in parts — particularly on the mantle that takes on a russet hue.

The picture shows a Temminck’s stint (Calidris temminckii) at the Kelambakkam backwaters at a low-tide hour on April 18, 2025. Among features that distinguish a Temminck’s stint from a Little stint is the latter’s yellow legs. The Little stint sports dark, black legs. India makes up a significant part of its wintering grounds; the bird breeds in the Arctic region.