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(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.

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.

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.

Race "himantopus"