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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
black-necked
stilt |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Charadriiformes |
| FAMILY: |
Recurvirostridae
(backward curved beak) |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Himantopus
(strap-legged - in reference to the slender lower
leg) mexicanus (of Mexico) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
The
black-necked stilt is a black and white shorebird
with darker colored dorsal feathers, a long neck
and a thin, straight, black bill. The legs are long
and red or pink. |
| MALE |
The
male has glossy black feathers and a white spot
above each eye. |
| FEMALE |
The
female has dark, brown dorsal feathers. |
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| SIZE: |
Averages
36 cm (14 in.) |
| MALE |
Up
to 45 cm (18 in.) |
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| DIET: |
Includes
brine flies, crayfish, brine shrimp, snails, few
fish, tadpoles, and some seeds |
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| INCUBATION: |
30-33 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
3-4
eggs |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Averages
5 years |
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| RANGE: |
Found
throughout southern and western U.S. and south to
Peru |
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| HABITAT: |
Inhabits
mud flats, pools and grassy marshes; also both fresh
and alkaline shallow lakes |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Hawaiian
subspecies is listed as Endangered |
| CITES |
No
data |
| USFWS |
No
data |
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| 1. |
The
name stilt is in reference to their long, thin legs,
which are ideal for wading in shallow waters while
foraging for food. They use their partially webbed
toes to help them swim in deeper water to search
for marine invertebrates and insects. |
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| 2. |
Black-necked stilts use a monotonous series of loud
piping sounds to communicate. |
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| 3. |
Stilts use a technique called "belly-soaking"
which is the transport of water in the ventral feathers.
In hot climates adults use belly soaking to cool
themselves, the eggs or chicks, and to increase
nest humidity. Stilts may make over 100 trips for
water a day. |
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| 4. |
The
birds distract predators using aerial maneuvers
and mock injuries while the young hide. Incredibly,
they are also able to swim for short periods of
time using their wings. |
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| 5. |
Shorebirds,
including the black-necked stilt, embark on one
of the longest migrations of any North American
birds, journeying from arctic nesting grounds to
winter in Central and South America. Many species
travel more than 15,000 miles round-trip and fly
at altitudes exceeding 10,000 feet at 50 mph. |
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| Although
more than 20 million shorebirds migrate through
the United States to the Arctic each year, scientists
recently discovered that the long-term survival
of abundant species such as black-necked stilts
may be in jeopardy. While traveling, the birds stop
at certain points along the U.S. that provide abundant
food; this helps the birds restore energy for the
next leg of their flight. In North America, five
such sites support more than a million shorebirds
each year! Scientists believe that more than 80%
of the entire North American population of some
species may converge at any of these key locations.
Plenty of food and land is needed to house that
many birds. Fortunately, in several of these sites,
local government has recognized the importance of
the birds and has implemented regulations to help
them feed and migrate successfully. |
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|
|
|
Gotch, A.F. Birds - Their Latin Names Explained.
Poole, Dorst: Blandford Press, 1981. |
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Perrins, C.. Birds: Their Life, Their Ways,
Their World. New York: The Reader's Digest
Association, Inc. 1979.
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| Perrins,
C. M. And Dr. Alex L.A. Middleton, eds. The Encyclopedia
of Birds. New York: Facts on File Pub. 1985. |
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| Perrins,
C. M. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds:
The Definitive Reference to Birds of the World.
New York: Prentice Hall Press. 1990. |
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| Robbins,
C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S. Birds of North America.
New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc. 1966. |
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| http://www.desertusa.com/magoct97/oct_pa/du_bnstil.html |
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