| Black-winged Stilt | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Recurvirostridae |
| Genus: | Himantopus |
| Species: | Himantopus himantopus |
The Black-winged Stilt or Common Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is a widely distributed, very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family (Recurvirostridae). It is sometimes called the Pied Stilt, though it is the actual common name for the Australian stilt species, Himantopus leucocephalus.
Description[]
The Black-winged Stilt is a black-and-white 33-36 cm long shorebird, with very long and slim pink legs that give the bird an elegant gait. The adult male in breeding plumage has black and white plumage with all-black wings and upper back with greenish iridescence. Underparts are white, sometimes with pale pinkish wash on the breast. The head is white on the face and forehead, and black on the top of the crown. The eyes are red. The long, thin bill is black and straight. The female in breeding plumage is similar but more brownish on the upperparts, sometimes with a greyish wash on nape and rear neck. In winter plumage, both are similar to the breeding female but duller, with variable grey wash on head and rear neck. The juvenile is paler than the adult, with washed grey-brown crown and rear neck. The brownish upperparts show narrow pale buff fringes, and the legs are duller in colour.
Behavior[]
The Black-winged Stilt feeds in shallow water, wading and catching preys on or near the surface. But sometimes, it plunges the head under the surface to capture some aquatic invertebrate. It picks up its food from sand or water. Its very long legs allow it to walk in deeper water than other waders. This bird rarely swims for food. The Black-winged Stilt is an active forager, and it can employ several methods to catch prey. This species is well adapted to nocturnal vision, which allows them to feed on windy, moonless nights. Stilts walk quickly, with long strides, wading into water. The Black-winged Stilt is a migratory bird, moving to the ocean coasts in winter. European birds winter in sub-Saharan Africa. They are often seen in flocks of 10 to 20 birds, and also in mixed flocks with other species of shorebirds.
Nesting[]
Nest with eggs.
The Black-winged Stilt’s nest is a shallow scrape on the ground. It is located on a mound of vegetation, on a platform of floating water plants, or on the shore. The female lays 4 eggs between mid-May and mid-June. Incubation lasts about 25 days, and is done by both parents. The chicks are precocial and leave the nest very early, remaining hidden in aquatic vegetation. They are fed by both parents. They fledge at about 4 weeks after hatching, and they become independent 2 to 4 weeks later.
They reach sexual maturity at about one or two years of age.
Distribution and Habitat[]
Black-winged Stilts are distributed throughout Eurasia and Africa. The breeding habitat of Black-winged Stilts are marshes, shallow lakes and ponds. Some populations are migratory and move to the ocean coasts in winter; those in warmer regions are generally resident or short-range vagrants.
Gallery[]
