- Himantopus leucocephalus
Identification
Distribution
Breeds from Indonesia to Australia and New Zealand; winters to Philippines.
Taxonomy
A monotypic species.
Nomenclature
A lot of the confusion over which name to use for this species comes from the disagrement over how many species of Stilts are found in the world. Opus inherited from Sibley and Monroe the view that six species exists, a view that is shared with Clements, while Howard and More only seems to recognize one species: Black-winged Stilt = Himantopus himantopus. The confusion does not get less from the fact that Black-winged Stilt = Himantopus himantopus is still in use, now meaning the stilt in Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Often called Black-winged Stilt (which is the name for Himantopus himantopus) in Australia causing a certain confusion. Has also sometimes been called Australian Stilt or Pied Stilt (another name more often used for Himantopus himantopus).
