Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
The black-winged stilt’s immensely long legs trail far behind its tail when it flies. It has several geographical races and breeds in a broad range of wetland habitats. The black-winged stilt feeds in calm fresh or salt water, striding through the shallows, scything its bill through the water to catch small animals or picking them from the surface.
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- Order Charadriiformes
- Length 14–16 in (35–40 cm)
- Weight 5–7 oz (150–200 g)
- Habitat Shallow coasts, salt marshes, wetlands
- Distribution Worldwide except far north and northeast Asia; summer visitor only in north of range
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