# Black-winged Stilt (*Himantopus himantopus*) The Black-winged Stilt is a tall, elegant bird with long legs and striking black wings. They love to wade in shallow waters, searching for tasty insects and small fish to eat. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Black-winged Stilt](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Himantopus_himantopus_-_Pak_Thale.jpg&width=800) Photo: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Himantopus_himantopus_-_Pak_Thale.jpg) ## Appearance The Black-winged Stilt has a striking appearance with its pure white body and black wings and back. Its most defining feature is its extremely long, needle-thin, bright pink legs, making it stand tall above other waders. It also has a slender black bill. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Recurvirostridae - **Genus:** Himantopus ## Interesting facts - Baby stilts can swim and catch food for themselves just hours after hatching! - Black-winged Stilts often feed by sweeping their long bill side-to-side in the water. - Their legs are longer than their entire body, making them one of the world's tallest birds! - These amazing birds can be found living on almost every continent in the world! ## Special abilities - **Super Stilts:** Black-winged Stilts have incredibly long legs that help them wade into deep water where other birds cannot reach food. - **Quick Prey Spotter:** The Black-winged Stilt has keen eyesight to spot tiny insects and aquatic creatures even in murky water. - **Clever Nest Defender:** Black-winged Stilts can pretend to have a broken wing, distracting predators away from their hidden nests. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 33-36 cm - **Wingspan:** 67-83 cm - **Weight:** 0.15-0.22 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-15 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 22-26 days - **Migration Distance:** 5000 km ## Diet & Feeding This bird mostly eats small aquatic creatures it finds in shallow water with its long bill. - **Primary Foods:** aquatic insects, larvae, small crustaceans, worms, tadpoles, small fish - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Yellow-legged Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-legged-gull) (*Larus michahellis*) — Gulls may prey on stilt eggs and chicks. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Foxes are common predators of stilt nests and chicks. - **Hunts:** Common Midge (*Chironomus plumosus*) — Stilts feed on larvae and adult midges in wetlands. - **Hunts:** Brine Shrimp (*Artemia salina*) — Abundant prey in salt pans, a key stilt habitat. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always observe birds from a distance so they feel safe and happy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Black-winged Stilt? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Black-winged Stilt? 33-36 cm ### What is Black-winged Stilt's wingspan? 67-83 cm ### How much does Black-winged Stilt weigh? 0.15-0.22 kg ### How long does Black-winged Stilt live? 10-15 years ### How fast can Black-winged Stilt move? 50 km/h ### What does Black-winged Stilt eat? This bird mostly eats small aquatic creatures it finds in shallow water with its long bill. ### Where is Black-winged Stilt usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [s’Albufera de Mallorca Natural Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/salbufera-de-mallorca-natural-park) — Illes Balears, ES · Park - [Tierpark Dessau](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tierpark-dessau) — Sachsen-Anhalt, DE · Zoo - [Parc Natural de l’Albufera, Valencia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albufera-natural-park-valencia) — Comunitat Valenciana, ES · Park - [Saladas de Chiprana Nature Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/saladas-de-chiprana-nature-reserve) — Aragón, ES · Park - [Alcázar de San Juan Lagoon Complex Nature Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alcazar-de-san-juan-lagoon-complex-nature-reserve) — Castilla-La Mancha, ES · Park - [Calblanque, Monte de las Cenizas and Peña del Águila Regional Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/calblanque-regional-park) — Región de Murcia, ES · Park [View all places to see Black-winged Stilt](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/black-winged-stilt) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Black-winged Stilt: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-winged-stilt)