Black-winged Stilt
| Class: Aves: Birds |
Diet: Insects, aquatic
animals |
| Order:
Charadriiformes: Auks, Waders, Laris |
| Size: 38
cm (15 in) |
| Family: Recurvirostridae:
Avocets |
Conservation Status:
Non-threatened |
| Scientific Name:
Himantopus himantopus |
Habitat: mainly freshwater
swamps, marshes, lagoons |
| Range:
Southern and southeastern Europe, Near East to about 50 degrees N |
 This
distinctive stilt has long pink legs, longer in proportion to its body
size than those of any bird except the flamingo; in flight, its legs project
far beyond the tail. Stilts walk quickly, taking long strides, and wade
into water to pick insects and small aquatic animals off vegetation and
off the water surface. The long slender bill is ideally adapted for this
purpose. Colonies of stilts nest together near water. Some nests
are substantial structures, built up in shallow water from sticks and mud;
other are small flimsy ground nests. Between April and June the female
lays 3 to 5 eggs, which both parents incubate for 26 days. The young leave
the nest soon after hatching.
  
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