Red-necked stint (Tringa totanus) is a medium-sized bird in the group of shorebirds. From the tip of a medium-length bill to the end of the tail it measures 24 to 27 cm, and the wingspan is between 47 and 53 cm. For adults in summer plumage, long red legs, a red base of a straight, fairly stout bill, and a whitish border around the eyes are characteristic. It has a gray-brown back, which is somewhat darkly mottled, its chest and flanks are black-streaked. In flight it is recognizable by a broad white band on the trailing edge of the upper surface of the wings, by a white wedge-shaped stripe that runs from the rump along the entire back, and by the toes that protrude slightly from beneath the crosswise black-striped tail. In winter it is more or less uniformly gray-brown, the stripes on the flanks and chest are barely noticeable. The red-necked stint is a loud, but wary bird. It is active by day as it forages for food, mainly insects, spiders, and earthworms.
Also the red-necked stint is a migratory bird, which during passage often stops at flooded meadows and along rivers or lakes with muddy banks. It overwinters preferably along sea shores, saline marshes, coastal lagoons, salt pans, and similar coastal habitats. It returns to breeding areas already early in spring. From April to July, individual pairs nest on wetlands with low vegetation and similar marshy areas inland or on coastal saline marshes, where they nest more often in small, dispersed colonies. It builds its nest on or near a clump of grasses or reeds, which with their overhanging leaves hide the nest well. In Slovenia it overwinters in the Sečovlje Salt Pans, breeds at Lake Cerknica, and is listed in the Red List of breeding birds as a critically endangered species.
It is threatened by loss of habitats suitable for nesting and overwintering. Suitable habitat disappears mainly due to changes in agricultural practices (either intensification or abandonment), draining of wetlands, flood control and construction of coastal infrastructure. Because of its shy nature, a large negative impact can also be caused by an increased number of people in the nesting area.
