Himantopus – Stilts
The thin needle-like bill is supported by solid head muscles allowing quick jaw movements to grip prey firmly
The large white body with black wings followed by long pink legs makes it easy to identify these stilts. The straight or slightly curved thin black bill adds to their beauty. They tip-toe in the shallow brackish water with the help of long legs (with no hind toe), looking for food.
The long neck in these stilts helps capture food from surface and deep water. The cute pink legs are extended far back during flight like the airplane’s tail. If you look closely, the black-winged stilt female has a brownish hue rather than jet black (as the name suggests) in its wing.
Species in this genus
Black stilt
One of the world’s rarest birds, with less than 200 individuals remaining in the wild
Black-winged stilt
Elegant long-legged wader, common almost worldwide