| Black Stilt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Recurvirostridae |
| Genus: | Himantopus |
| Species: | Himantopus novaezelandiae |
The Black Stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) is a rare wading bird endemic to New Zealand and by far, one of the most endangered birds in the world.
Description[]
Adult Black Stilts have a completely black plumage and beak along with long pink legs and red eyes. Juveniles have white breasts, neck and head with a black patch around the eye, and black belly feathers that distinguish them from the Pied Stilt. Adult birds measure up to 220 grams in mass and is 37 to 40 cm long.
Behavior[]
Feeding[]
The Black Stilt feeds mainly on fish, amphibians, crustaceans, insects, mollusks and worms.
Breeding and Nesting[]
The breeding season lasts from September to January. The bird nests in small colonies near shallow water. Nests are shallow holes in the ground, lined with stones, twigs and grass. 3 to 5 eggs are laid, both parents incubate in turn, and incubation lasts 22-26 days. Shortly after hatching, the young leave the nest with their parents. The chicks learn to fly in 4 weeks, but stay with their parents for a few more months.
Distribution, Habitat, and Conservation[]
This wader is nowadays restricted to a small part of South Island in New Zealand, specifically upper Waitaki River system in the Mackenzie Basin, and it is an inhabitant of swamps, shallow water and wet meadows. Historically, the species was quite common on both North and South Island in New Zealand. The introduction of predatory mammals and the destruction of habitats have led to a decrease in the number of species. In the 1940s, the population numbers of the species were already low, somewhere between 500 and 1,000 birds. By this time, the Black Stilt stopped nesting on the North Island. In 1981, only 23 birds remained in the wild. In 1999, only 4 nesting pairs and 31 adult birds were recorded. Thanks to the program of reproduction in captivity, the species was saved from extinction, but it is still a rare bird. As of August 2018, 136 birds were present in the wild, another 25 were kept in captivity for breeding. The main threat to the species is hybridization with its close relative, the Pied Stilt, as it is a threat to the Black Stilt's gene pool.