Black-necked Stilt

The Black-necked Stilt is a striking wetland shorebird found across much of the Americas, most immediately recognizable by its extraordinarily long, thin legs, proportionally among the longest relative to body size of any bird. Its plumage is crisply two-toned, with glossy black upperparts, crown, nape, and hindneck sharply set off against clean white underparts and a white spot above the eye.

It favors shallow freshwater and saline wetlands, including marshes, salt ponds, and flooded fields, where its long legs allow it to wade in water too deep for many other shorebirds. In flight, its legs trail well beyond the tail, adding to its distinctive silhouette alongside a thin, straight black bill.

A crisp black-and-white body feather, glossy above and clean white below, found near a shallow freshwater or saline wetland in the Americas, is a good indicator of this species.

Shape and Size

Body feathers are slender and elongated, matching the bird's tall, attenuated build, and flight feathers are long and narrow, contributing to a graceful, buoyant flight style.

Color and Pattern

• Crown, nape, hindneck, back, and wing feathers are glossy black, often with a slight greenish sheen in good light.
• Underparts, including the throat, breast, and belly, are clean white.
• A small white spot appears above the eye on an otherwise black head.
• Flight feathers are uniformly blackish above, without a pale wing stripe.

Shaft and Vane

Shafts are dark on black feathers and pale on white feathers, with a sharp, clean-edged transition between the two color zones rather than gradual blending or barring.

Distinguishing from Similar Species

The combination of solidly glossy black upperparts (rather than brown or grey) and crisp white underparts, together with the extremely elongated body feather proportions matching this species' long-legged build, helps distinguish it from other black-and-white wetland shorebirds, most of which show at least some brown tones or barring rather than solid glossy black.

Adults show glossy black upperparts, crown, nape, and hindneck, with clean white underparts and a white spot above the eye. The bill is thin, straight, and black, and the legs are extremely long and bright pink to red, though this soft-tissue color is not present on shed feathers. Sexes are similar, though females may show slightly browner-tinged black upperparts. Juveniles are duller, with brownish-black upperparts and less sharply defined contrast. Molt follows breeding, with a complete post-breeding molt refreshing the crisp adult pattern.

The Black-necked Stilt is found from the western and southern United States through Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and into northern and western South America, favoring shallow freshwater and saline wetlands, marshes, salt ponds, and flooded agricultural fields. Northern populations are migratory, wintering further south, while populations in warmer parts of the range are largely resident.

This species forages by wading in shallow water, using its long legs to access depths unavailable to many other shorebirds, taking aquatic invertebrates and small vertebrates from the water's surface or just below it. It is often found in loose colonies, particularly during the breeding season, and can be highly vocal and aggressive in defense of nests, giving sharp, repeated yipping calls when disturbed. Nests are shallow scrapes on open ground near water, sometimes on small islands within wetlands. For feather finders, a crisp glossy black-and-white feather found near a shallow freshwater or saline wetland in the Americas, especially alongside evidence of a long-legged wading bird, is a good indicator of this species.