Black-Winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
Aves › Charadriiformes › Recurvirostridae › Himantopus
Conservation status: least_concern
This is a widely distributed, very long-legged wader belonging to the avocet and stilt family. It is notable for its long legs and general black and white coloration.
How To Identify
These elegant waders are characterized by a predominantly white body, sharply contrasted by striking black primaries on their wings. They possess disproportionately long, thin legs, enabling them to wade into deeper coastal waters than most similar birds.
Habitat
It typically inhabits shallow wetlands, lagoons, salt marshes, and brackish waters across warm and temperate regions worldwide.
Behaviour
They feed by wading through shallow water with a distinctive picking motion, often tilting their bodies forward to probe the surface for small invertebrates and fish.
Native Range
The black-winged stilt is widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Did You Know?
Despite their impossibly long, thin legs making up nearly half their body length, Black-winged Stilts are remarkably agile waders that can wade through deep water where other birds cannot reach, and they often sleep while standing on a single leg.
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