- Himantopus mexicanus
Identification
White below, 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 - brown tinge.
Distribution
U.S. to southern Peru and Brazil; Hawaiian Islands.
Taxonomy
Subspecies1
- H. m. mexicanus - W and s US to e Ecuador, sw Peru and ne Brazil; West Indies
- H. m. knudseni - Hawaiian Islands
Habitat
Wetlands and coastlines, up to 2500m.
Behaviour
The diet includes aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans, arthropods, molluscs, small fish and tadpoles.
They nest on mudflats; 3-5 eggs are laid, and are incubated by both sexes for 22-26 days. The young fledge after about 28 days.
References
- Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2008. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
External Links