Fun Facts!

Don't mess with them! An anti-predator warning called 'the popcorn display' consists of a group of adults encircling a ground predator and hopping from side to side while flapping their wings.

Black-Necked Stilt

Himantopus mexicanus

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

The black-necked stilt is a dark-backed shorebird with a long neck and a thin, straight black bill. This large, slim wader's most distinguishing features are its long, red or pink legs. The males reach a height of 18 inches, and have a wing span of up to a 30 inches. Females are slightly smaller. Like most bird species, the coloring of the males is more vivid than the females; the adult male's plumage is shiny black above and white below. The female is more brownish above, and juveniles are buff-colored on the edges. In flight, the wings are a continual black; its tail is buff to white, and its long, red-colored tail trails far behind. The call of the black-necked stilt is a monotonous series of loud piping sounds.

HABITAT

They live from the southwestern United States through Mexico, and as far into South America as Peru. They prefer a desert climate, and are found in mud flats, pools, grassy marshes and areas surrounding shallow lakes. They primarily winter in the San Joaquin Valley in California. Salt evaporation ponds have become an increasingly popular habitat since 1960 in the US, and the birds are prevalent in the salt pond areas around the southern San Francisco Bay. Some birds have drifted east as far as Florida.

DIET IN THE WILD

The black-necked stilt forages for food in mud flats and lakeshore areas. It eats a wide range of aquatic invertebrates, including crustaceans, other arthropods and mollusks. It also eats small fish and tadpoles, but very rarely will eat plant seeds. When the bird is inland, they look for aquatic insects and their larvae.

BEHAVIOR

Black-necked stilts get along well with their same-breed neighbors and will defend territories from predators and pests. When a predator (like a mongoose) comes near, stilts will produce a sharp “yip-yip-yip” sound.

STATUS IN THE WILD / CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Their numbers are plentiful in the wild, and aren't currently protected by conservation measures. Conservation groups are watchful of urban expansion which invades their habitat. Predators include primarily ground mammals.

LIFE SPAN

The black-necked stilt can live up to five years in the wild.