Black-necked Stilt

The Black-necked Stilt is a slender, elegant shorebird with bold black-and-white plumage: black upperparts, cap, and hindneck contrast sharply with pure white underparts and face. Its bill is thin, straight, and black, and its legs are extremely long and pink-red, proportionally among the longest of any bird relative to body size.

A conspicuous and vocal presence at shallow wetlands throughout the Americas, it is frequently seen wading in water too deep for many other shorebirds.

Key field marks

• Bold black-and-white plumage
• Thin, straight black bill
• Extraordinarily long pink legs
• Black cap and hindneck contrasting with white face

Similar species

The American Avocet has an upturned bill and blue-gray legs, plus cinnamon-orange head coloring in breeding plumage. The Black-winged Stilt (the Old World counterpart) is very similar but generally shows less solid black on the head and neck.

Habitat

Shallow fresh, brackish, and saline wetlands, salt evaporation ponds, mudflats, and marshes.

Range and migration

Found from the western and southern United States through Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and much of South America. Northern populations are migratory, while southern populations are largely resident.

Behavior

Wades in shallow water, picking insects and small invertebrates from the surface or just below with quick jabs of the bill.

Voice

Sharp, repeated yipping 'kip-kip-kip' alarm calls, especially near the nest.

Feeding

Aquatic insects, small crustaceans, and other invertebrates picked from shallow water.

Nesting and breeding

Nests in loose colonies on bare ground or low mounds near water, defending nests aggressively with distraction displays and mobbing behavior.