Himantopus himantopus
The Black-winged Stilt is an elegant and instantly recognizable shorebird, renowned for its exceptionally long, slender pink legs that extend conspicuously during flight. Measuring approximately 33-36 cm in length with a wingspan of 67-83 cm and weighing around 150-200g, its plumage is a striking contrast of glossy black upperparts and pristine white underparts. Distinctive field marks include its needle-thin black bill, bright red eyes, and the overall graceful, almost delicate, appearance. ...
This species primarily inhabits shallow freshwater, brackish, or saline wetlands, including lagoons, salt pans, flooded fields, marshes, and slow-moving rivers, generally at low elevations near coastal or inland water bodies.
Their diet consists mainly of aquatic insects (larvae and adults), small crustaceans, mollusks, worms, tadpoles, and occasionally small fish, foraged by wading and probing or surface-picking in shallow waters.
Black-winged Stilts are diurnal birds, often seen foraging during the day and roosting communally in shallow water or on sandbanks at night. Their foraging strategy involves slow wading, often with the legs submerged, using their long bills to probe the soft substrate or pick prey from the water ...
The Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) has an exceptionally wide geographic distribution, encompassing much of the Old World. Its breeding range spans southern Europe, across large parts of Africa, through central and southern Asia, extending into Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealan...
Least Concern
- The Black-winged Stilt boasts the longest legs in proportion to its body size of any bird, allowing it to wade in surprisingly deep water. - Its name 'stilt' is derived from the old Dutch word 'stelten,' meaning 'to walk on poles,' perfectly describing its appearance. - This widely distributed ...