Black-necked Stilt

Black-necked Stilt

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A striking black-and-white bird with very long, thin red legs, the Black-necked Stilt is found along the edges of shallow water in open country.

Description

• Large shorebird.
• Black face, hind neck, and back.
• White throat and underparts.
• Very long, thin red legs.
• Long, thin, straight black bill.

• Size: 35-39 cm (14-15 in)
• Wingspan: 71 cm (28 in)
• Weight: 136-220 g (4.8-7.77 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar, but female with brown tinge to back and slightly shorter legs.

Sound

A sharp yipping. Given continuously when disturbed.

Conservation Status

Populations increasing in United States. Vulnerable to habitat alteration. Hawaiian subspecies was reduced to about 200 birds in 1940s, but now up to about 1,500, but still listed as federal Endangered Species.

Other Names

Échasse d'Amérique (French)
Candelero Americano, Cachiporra,Cigüeñuela, Cuellinegra,Monjita (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• Five species of rather similar-looking stilts are recognized in the genus Himantopus. They have the second-longest legs in proportion to their bodies of any bird, exceeded only by flamingos.
• The Hawaiian subspecies of Black-necked Stilt has the black of its neck reaching much farther forward than the mainland forms. Habitat loss and hunting led to the decline in its numbers. It uses primarily the few freshwater wetlands found on the Hawaiian Islands.

Sources used to construct this page:

Robinson, J. A., J. M. Reed, J. P. Skorupa, and L. W. Oring. 1999. Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus). In The Birds of North America, No. 449 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.