Black-necked Stilt

Overview

Black-necked Stilt: Large shorebird with sharply contrasting black upperparts and white underparts. Long, thin, upcurved bill. Red eyes with white eye-rings, and white patch above. Legs are extremely long and red-pink. Feeds on insects, fish, worms, small crustaceans and seeds. Swift direct flight.

Range and Habitat

Black-necked Stilt: Breeds along coasts from Oregon and Delaware southward, and locally in western interior states east to Idaho, Kansas, and Texas. Spends winters along the Pacific coast north to central California, Florida, and other Gulf coast states. Preferred habitats include salt marshes, shallow coastal bays, and freshwater marshes.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Black-necked Stilt was first described 1776 by Philipp Ludwig Statius Müller, a German zoologist.
They feed in both salt and fresh water on half webbed feet that allow them to swim, although they rarely do.
They have the second-longest legs in proportion to their bodies of any bird, exceeded only by flamingos.

The Black-necked Stilt is an abundant species of shorebird found throughout multiple American wetlands and coastlines. It is typically found along the coast of California and western United States, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Galapagos Islands. Those that live further north will migrate south for the winter, sometimes as far as Mexico. The typical habitat is wetlands, and the Black-necked Stilt nests in mostly lower land levels. It forages for aquatic invertebrates such as crustaceans, fish and tadpoles in the mud or low water. Threats to this species include pollution and human interference in their natural habitat. Currently, the conservation status of the Black-necked Stilt is Least Concern.