Black-necked Stilt

The Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus, is a striking shorebird with a distinctive appearance. It possesses long, rosy pink legs and a slender black bill. The underparts are a pristine white, while the wings and back are cloaked in black. A black cap extends from the back of the neck over the head, stopping just below the eyes, save for a small white spot above the eye. Males may exhibit a greenish sheen on their back and wings during the breeding season, which is less pronounced or absent in females, who may instead show a brownish hue.

Identification Tips

Adult Black-necked Stilts have a wingspan ranging from 28.1 to 29.7 inches (71 to 75 cm) and weigh between 5.3 to 6.2 ounces (150 to 180 g). Their length spans approximately 13.8 to 15.3 inches (35 to 39 cm). Juveniles are marked by light olive brown plumage with black speckles along the upperparts and some dark barring on the flanks. The species can be differentiated from the similar Black-winged Stilt by the white spot above the eye.

Habitat

This bird favors estuarine, lacustrine, salt pond, and emergent wetland habitats. It is typically found at low elevations but has been observed up to 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) above sea level in Central America.

Distribution

The Black-necked Stilt is widespread, ranging from California's coastlines through the interior western United States, along the Gulf of Mexico to Florida, and further south through Central America and the Caribbean to Brazil, Peru, and the Galápagos Islands. An isolated population exists in Hawaii. Northern populations are migratory, wintering from the southern United States to southern Mexico, and occasionally as far south as Costa Rica.

Behaviour

These stilts exhibit fascinating behaviors, such as feigning weakness or illness to distract predators from their young. They are known to migrate in flocks and display strong territoriality around nesting sites.

Song & Calls

The calls of the Black-necked Stilt are a series of sharp, yipping sounds, often heard when the bird is agitated.

Breeding

Breeding occurs from late April through August, with nests typically located within a kilometer of feeding sites. The species is semicolonial, with nests found in close proximity to one another. Both sexes share incubation duties, which last for about a month. Chicks are precocial, swimming and moving rapidly soon after hatching, and fledge at around one month of age.

Similar Species

The Black-necked Stilt may be confused with the Black-winged Stilt, but can be distinguished by the white spot above the eye.

Diet and Feeding

The diet consists mainly of aquatic invertebrates such as crustaceans, arthropods, mollusks, and occasionally small fish and plant seeds. They forage by probing and gleaning in mudflats, lakeshores, and shallow waters.

Conservation status

The Black-necked Stilt is classified as a Species of Least Concern by the IUCN, with a healthy and widespread population. However, the Hawaiian subspecies is rare, numbering less than 2,000 individuals and facing threats from introduced predators like the small Indian mongoose.