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The black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) is a species of shorebird in the family Recurvirostridae, inhabiting wetlands and coastlines in North, Central and South America. Adults average about 36 cm (14 in) in length, with black-and-white plumage and a thin, straight, black bill. The legs are long and pink, and there is a white spot above the eye that distinguishes the species from the white-backed stilt.
Seen here near Corte Madera, California, the black-necked stilt forages by probing and gleaning on mudflats, grassy marshes and lakesides, as well as in shallow waters near the shore; the diet consists mainly of insects and their larvae, crustaceans, other arthropods, mollusks, tadpoles and small fish. The species nests in colonies that may have several dozen pairs spread out loosely, with the birds defending an extensive perimeter around groups of nests, patrolling in cooperation with their neighbors.Photograph credit: Frank Schulenburg
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