- Himantopus melanurus
Description
The White-backed Stilt has long pink legs, a long and selnder black bill and black and white overall colour. Its upperparts are mostly black, except for the white collar. Hindneck and hindcrown are also black and the rest of the head, as welll as the underparts, is white
Identification
Can easily be mistaken with the Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), sometimes considered conspecific in H. himantopus (see Taxonomy). They can be separated by the amount of black and/or white in the head (White-backed has less black and more white, while Black-necked has more black and less white) or by the white collar (typically present in White-backed). (See photos of both articles for comparison). Black-necked Stilt is restricted to northern and north-western South America, but there may be overlap areas.
Distribution
The White-backed Stilt occurs from far southern Peru and central and north-eastern Brazil south to central Argentina.
Habitat
They are found on lakes, marshes, river and sea shores, mangroves, wetlands etc. Their habitat naturally is always related to water.
Behaviour
They look for insects, crustaceans and other small invertebrates in the sand or in the water with their slender bill.
Taxonomy
The taxonomy for genus Himantopus is very confusing. White-backed Stilt is considered by some:
- Subspecies of the Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus, and conspecific with Black-necked Stilt then H. h. melanurus.
- Subspecies of the Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus, then H. mexicanus melanurus.
- Separated species, then H. melanurus.
