Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 13.8–15.4 in
35–39 cm - Wingspan
- 28 in
71 cm - Weight
- 4.8–7.8 oz
136–220 g
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.
Habitat
Shore-line
Shallow fresh and saltwater wetlands, including salt ponds, rice fields, shallow lagoons, and mangrove swamps.
Food
Insects
Nesting
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Probing
Feeds in shallow water, while wading or swimming. Locates food by sight and snaps it up, sometimes sticking head completely underwater, or swipes the head and bill through water.
Conservation
Least Concern
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.
Credits
- 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.