(→Behaviour: Added sections; more info on breeding.) |
(→Identification: Added variations) |
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| Line 12: | Line 12: | ||
*Long pink legs | *Long pink legs | ||
*Long thin black bill | *Long thin black bill | ||
| − | |||
'''Males''' - greenish gloss to back and wings, particularly in breeding season<br /> | '''Males''' - greenish gloss to back and wings, particularly in breeding season<br /> | ||
'''Females''' - tinged brown. | '''Females''' - tinged brown. | ||
| + | ====Variations==== | ||
| + | ''H. m. melanurus'' has less black and more white on head. ''H. m. knudseni'' is larger with more black on head and neck; longer bill and legs. | ||
| + | |||
==Distribution== | ==Distribution== | ||
[[U.S.]] to southern [[Peru]] and [[Brazil]]; [[Hawaiian Islands]]. | [[U.S.]] to southern [[Peru]] and [[Brazil]]; [[Hawaiian Islands]]. | ||
Revision as of 06:56, 4 February 2020
- Himantopus mexicanus
Includes: White-backed Stilt
Identification
35–40 cm (13¾-15¾ in)
- White underparts
- Black wings and back
- White tail with some grey banding
- Black cap
- Small white spot above eye
- Long pink legs
- Long thin black bill
Males - greenish gloss to back and wings, particularly in breeding season
Females - tinged brown.
Variations
H. m. melanurus has less black and more white on head. H. m. knudseni is larger with more black on head and neck; longer bill and legs.
Distribution
U.S. to southern Peru and Brazil; Hawaiian Islands.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies:
- H. m. mexicanus:
- Western and southern US to eastern Ecuador, south-western Peru and north-eastern Brazil; winters in the West Indies
- H. m. knudseni:
- H. m. melanurus:
Habitat
Wetlands and coastlines, up to 2500m.
Behaviour
Diet
Their varied diet consists mostly of small aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans, arthropods, molluscs, small fish and tadpoles. They also eat seeds from aquatic plants.
Breeding
Photo © by Stanley Jones
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Chambers County, Texas, USA, July 2018
Nest is a scrape built up on the sides. They usually nest on mudflats. The clutch consists of 3-5 tawny olive to light drab eggs spotted or blotched with brown. Both adults incubate for 22-26 days. The young fledge after about 28 days.
Vocalisation
Common call is a loud, sharp, "kip-kip-kip."
Movements
Sedentary in places, but local movements to long-distance migration elsewhere.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Pierce, R.J. & Kirwan, G.M. (2020). Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/53759 on 30 January 2020).
- Robinson, J. A., J. M. Reed, J. P. Skorupa, and L. W. Oring (1999). Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.449
- Chandler, R. (2009). Shorebirds of North America, Europe, and Asia: A photographic guide. Princeton.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-necked Stilt. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-necked_Stilt
External Links
