A very small shorebird of both inland and coastal wetlands and estuaries. Breeding adult has vivid orange head bordered by dark stippling (no dark markings internal to the orange, unlike Little Stint) and bright orange and gold tones in upperwing coverts. Nonbreeding adult gray above, pale below; juvenile similar but richer gray-brown above with neat pale feather edges in upperparts. Flight call a high-pitched, raspy “krreeet.”