Black-necked Stilt
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Recurvirostridae
Genus: Himantopus
Species: mexicanus
**Black-necked Stilt Audio Below**
Description
-
Length: 14"
-
Wing span: 29"
-
Weight: 6 oz (160 grams)
-
Large black and white shorebird with very long red legs
-
Long, thin, straight black bill
-
Black face with a rectangular white spot above red eyes
-
All black wings
-
Sexes look alike although the female has slightly shorter legs
-
Juvenile is very similar to adult
Factoids:
-
The Black-necked Stilt is found along the edges of shallow water in open country
- 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.
All photographs and audio clips are ©Jamie Mullin 2006
Sources: Cornell Lab of Ornithology & The Sibley Guide to Birds.
 |
|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |