Long-toed stint

　The Long-toed Stint is one of the smallest sandpipers to migrate to Japan. Its scientific name, Calidris subminuta, literally means ‘small sandpiper’. It passes through Japan in spring and autumn, but is particularly common in autumn. In the rice paddies of Hiratabaru—a renowned birdwatching spot on Ishigaki Island—large numbers of Long-toed Stints can be seen from September to October, and many overwintering individuals also reside there. Although not a rare bird, the sight of dozens of them pecking for food in the rice paddies is a spectacle almost unheard of on Honshu.

　On the other hand, as it migrates from Siberia to Southeast Asia and Australia, it is an extremely rare visitor in Europe, where there are hardly any records of it. It is also one of the birds that tourists from Europe are keen to see.