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Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Viuda,
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Photo: G. Beaton
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Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Viuda,
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Photo: G. Beaton
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IDENTIFICATION: A tall shorebird with dramatic black-and-white plumage, and long, pink legs. Length: 35-39 cm.; weight: 136-220 g. VOICE:A loud, high-pitched, "kek kek kek", given when alarmed. Audio (M. Oberle). HABITAT: Shallow marshes, swamps, salt ponds, flooded fields, mangroves and inland lagoons. HABITS: The Stilt travels in noisy flocks, and wades into muddy waters to feed on crustaceans, worms, snails, small fish, and insects such as flies and water boatmen. Other shorebirds rely on it to sound the alarm when humans or predators approach too closely. Both sexes build a scrape nest in grass or on a high area of mudflats, often near other StiltsÆ nests. Both sexes incubate the 3-6 eggs for 22-26 days. The chicks follow the parents away from the nest soon after hatching and feed themselves. They fledge at 4-5 weeks after hatching, but the parents continue to help them forage for several weeks after that. Stilts start to breed at age 1-2 years. STATUS AND CONSERVATION: A common, permanent resident in Puerto Rico. In winter, the resident population is joined by large flocks of migratory Stilts. Formerly hunted, the Stilt is now protected. Drainage of wetlands has reduced its habitat, and the accumulation of toxic wastes from cities and agriculture are threats in evaporation ponds. RANGE: Breeds from the East Coast and interior West of the USA, south to northern Argentina. Also found in Africa, Eurasia and Australia. In Puerto Rico regular places to find this species are in shallow pools at Boquer≤n Wildlife Refuge. TAXONOMY: CHARADRIIFORMES; RECURVIROSTRIDAE |
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Photo: G. Beaton
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Photo: A. Sßnchez Mu±oz
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Photo: A. Sßnchez Mu±oz
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Photo: G. Beaton
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Photo: G. Beaton
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Photo: G. Beaton
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Photo: C. Ruiz Lebr≤n
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Photo: L. Miranda
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Photo: C. Ruiz Lebr≤n
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Photo: C. Ruiz Lebr≤n
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Photo: C. Ruiz Lebr≤n
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Photo: D. North
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References Bent, A.C. 1927. Life histories of North American shore birds, part 1. Smithsonian Instit. U.S. National Museum Bull. 142. (Reprinted by Dover Press, NY, 1962). Collazo, J.A., B.A. Harrington, J. Grear, and J.A. Colón. 1995. Abundance and distribution of shorebirds at the Cabo Rojo salt flats, Puerto Rico. J. Field Ornithol. 66:424-438. del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal, eds. 1996. Handbook of Birds of the World, Vol. 3. Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Ehrlich, P.R., D.S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The birderÆs handbook: a field guide to the natural history of North American birds. Simon and Schuster/ Fireside, NY. Hayman, P., J. Marchant, and T. Prater. 1986. Shorebirds: an identification guide. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Paulson, D. 1993. Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest. Univ Washington, Seattle. Raffaele, H.A. 1989. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Princeton. Raffaele, H.A. 1989. Una guía a las aves de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes. Publishing Resources, Inc., Santurce, PR. Raffaele, H.A., J.W. Wiley, O.H. Garrido, A.R. Keith, and J.I. Raffaele. 1998. Guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton. Robinson, J. A., J. M. Reed, J. P. Skorupa, and L. W. Oring. 1999. Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus). in The birds of North America, No. 449 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Saliva, J.E. 1994. Vieques y su fauna: Vieques wildlife manual. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Boquerón, PR. Wunderle, J.M., Jr., R.B. Waide, and J. Fernández. 1989. Seasonal abundance of shorebirds in the Jobos estuary in southern Puerto Rico. J. Field Ornithol. 60:329-339. Black-necked Stilt, Spanish text Next related species in taxonomic order Previous related species in taxonomic order |