Black-Winged Stilt

Images ©:
©Bob Winters

Himantopus himantopus

Larger wader, up to 39 cm. Orange-red legs. Straight black bill. Black on the back of the neck. White collar. Red iris.

Details
Type
Bird
Group
Animals
Stilt
Biology

Breeding season: highly variable, usually August to December. Clutch size is three to four. Nest in small colonies. Within these colonies, the mated pairs stongly defend their individual territories. The nest may be anything from a simple shallow scrape on the ground to a mound of vegetation placed in or near the water. Both sexes incubate the eggs and look after the young.
Distinctive Markings

Plumage black and white.
Taxonomy
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Recurvirostridae
Genus
Himantopus
Species
himantopus

Source: Atlas of Living Australia

Black-winged Stilts feed by pecking at food items while wading in the water.

Interesting Facts
Diet

Carnivore. Feeds on aquatic insects, but will also take molluscs and crustaceans.
Habitat

Found in open freshwater wetlands, coastal bays and inlets.
Native Status
Native to Australia
Audio
Sounds
Repeated high-pitched barking call.