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9

(Eurasian) Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) Alternate name(s): "Common Stilt", "Longshanks", "Stilt-bird", "Dog-bird"; misnomer: "Long-legged Plover" Size: 33-40 cm; wing span 67-83 cm Weight: 135-290 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description (Eurasian) Black-winged Stilts are medium-sized, long-legged, black-and-white waders. Their body plumage is mostly white, except for a black patch on the nape of the neck and the black upperwings. The underwings are also entirely black. The irises are dark. The slender, straight bill is dull black, while the long legs are prominently pink (often seen trailing far beyond the end of the tail in flight). Juvenile (Eurasian) Black-winged Stilts have an all-white head and neck, except for a small brownish-grey cap. Immature birds have a more prominent brownish-grey cap and a grey patch at the nape of the neck. At all ages, the colouring of the head plumage can be variable, though.

Taxonomy, classification See Black-winged Stilt at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information The taxonomy of the genus Himantopus is still contentious. We have no authority to weigh in on the issue, but will follow here the convention currently (2019/20) in use by ebird.org , where the species shown here is called the "Eurasian Black-winged Stilt", which is separate from the (Australasian) Pied Stilt, Himantopus leucocephalus that was formerly treated as a race of the Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus. We do not include here any birds in the genus Himantopus found on the American continents.

Range, habitat Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the (Eurasian) Black-winged Stilt is available HERE . They breed in an area spanning from western Europe and the Mediterranean to Central Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, as well as South and South-east Asia. There is also a breeding population in East Asia (e.g. Taiwan). They are also found on some islands in south-eastern Asia, e.g. in western Micronesia. The north-western populations (Europe, south-western Asia) migrate southwards to spend the northern winters in Africa. In Arabia only nominate race "himantopus" is found. They are most common on the near-coastal fringe of the peninsula, including the coastline of Oman, where they are found in a variety of aquatic habitats, both as breeding residents and as winter visitors or migrants, but they can appear around inland waters, too. (Eurasian) Black-winged Stilts can be found in the shallows of various kinds of aquatic habitat (both saline and freshwater), such as e.g. ephemeral wetlands, freshwater lakes (including ephemeral lakes), but also saltwater marshes.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "himantopus" An immature (Eurasian) Black-winged Stilt, nominate race "himantopus", was spotted by us on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, in August-September 2009. (Eurasian) Black-winged Stilts were also seen at Qurm, near Muscat, in December 2009.

Photos

Additional information

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Race "himantopus"

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of an immature (Eurasian) Black-winged Stilt
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Lateral view of an immature (Eurasian) Black-winged Stilt
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Up one leg...
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

... and then take a nap
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Yikes, now how do I get my bill out again...?
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Additional information

We have taken more photos of (Eurasian) Black-winged Stilts, race "himantopus", in Europe.

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

blwstlt_jp_20190602_3.m4a	himantopus (Portugal)	Contact calls(?)	© JP
blwstlt_jp_20190602.m4a	himantopus (Portugal)	Contact & warning calls(?) (+ Little Grebe)	© JP
blwstlt_jp_20190522.m4a	himantopus (Portugal)	Warning calls(?) (+ bells)	© JP
blwstlt_jp_20190602_2.m4a	himantopus (Portugal)	Warning/departure	© JP

More Black-winged Stilt sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Sat, 3 June 2023, 20:34 +00:00