Black-necked Stilt

The Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) is a locally abundant shorebird of American wetlands and coastlines. It is found from the coastal areas of California through much of the interior western United States and along the Gulf of Mexico as far east as Florida, then south through Central America and the Caribbean to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands.

Adults have long pink legs and a long thin black bill. They are white below and have black wings and backs. The tail is white with some grey banding. A continuous area of black extends from the back along the hindneck to the head. There, it forms a cap covering the entire head from the top to just below eye-level, with the exception of the areas surrounding the bill and a small white spot above the eye. Males have a greenish gloss to the back and wings, particularly in the breeding season. This is less pronounced or absent in females, which have a brown tinge to these areas instead. Otherwise, the sexes look alike.

Photo Gallery

19 thoughts on “Black-necked Stilt”

Arbie on March 5, 2018 at 9:00 am said:

Oh my goodness!! This bird is adorable. I especially like the second picture!!

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- avian101 on March 5, 2018 at 12:47 pm said:
  
  I’m glad you like them. Thank you Arbie. 🙂
  
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susanpoozan on March 5, 2018 at 10:25 am said:

What an elegant bird, thanks for all the information.

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- avian101 on March 5, 2018 at 12:50 pm said:
  
  Yes, they are delicate and good looking. Thank you Susan. 🙂
  
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Indira on March 5, 2018 at 1:18 pm said:

It definitely has stilt legs!! 🙂

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- avian101 on March 5, 2018 at 1:43 pm said:
  
  Yes! Thanks Indira. 🙂
  
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tootlepedal on March 5, 2018 at 5:06 pm said:

You have done a very elegant bird justice with your photographs.

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- avian101 on March 5, 2018 at 7:07 pm said:
  
  Thank you very much my friend. 🙂
  
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aussiebirder on March 6, 2018 at 2:18 am said:

Looks very similar to our Black-Winged Stilt, they make great reflections photos when they wade in shallow water. Thanks for showcasing this bird HJ😊

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- avian101 on March 6, 2018 at 10:35 am said:
  
  These birds have subspecies with certain variation of plumage patterns. Thanks Ashley for sharing. 🙂
  
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svtakeiteasy on March 6, 2018 at 6:30 pm said:

Very beautiful birds, HJ.

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- avian101 on March 6, 2018 at 9:04 pm said:
  
  Thank you Chris! 🙂
  
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Clare Pooley on March 6, 2018 at 8:34 pm said:

What a beautiful bird! Thank-you for the excellent shots, HJ!

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- avian101 on March 6, 2018 at 9:05 pm said:
  
  Thank you very much Clare. 🙂
  
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  - Clare Pooley on March 7, 2018 at 5:13 pm said:
    
    🙂
Tiny on March 7, 2018 at 11:34 am said:

Excellent shots, H.J. 🙂 ! I’d love these birds to come visit us too.

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- avian101 on March 7, 2018 at 2:08 pm said:
  
  I’m sure that if they ever visit you… you’d love them! They are like living cartoon characters! Thank you Tiny. 🙂
  
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bayphotosbydonna on March 8, 2018 at 7:40 pm said:

Outstanding captures, HJ! 🙂

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- avian101 on March 8, 2018 at 8:25 pm said:
  
  Thank you very much Donna. 🙂
  
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