Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus)

Large. Long necked, long thin straight bill, and extremely long thin legs. Sexes similar.

Male: Breeding: All white except, back, hind neck, wings, both above and below, black. In flight legs extend well beyond tail. Eye, red. Bill, black. Legs, pinkish to pinkish-red. Non-breeding: Similar but crown and hind neck may become greyish.

Female: Like male but back has brown tones.

Immatures: Crown and hind neck greyish to almost black. Back, wings, dark brown. Feathers edged with buff giving a scaly appearance. Legs, pinkish-red.

Other Names (World)
Pied Stilt, White-headed Stilt, Black-winged Stilt (when considered a subspecies)

Family
Recurvirostridae (Avocets, Stilts)

Size
35 cm

First Described (Guide)
Gould, 1837

Range (Guide)

Australia (B), Christmas Island, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand (B), Palau, Papua New Guinea (B), Philippines.

Vagrant to Brunei Darussalam.

Java east to New Guinea, and south to Australia and New Zealand; winters north to Philippines, Greater Sundas and Sulawesi.

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 330,000 (2010).

Status NR
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
In pairs or family groups when breeding and in small to large flocks outside the breeding season.

Food
Aquatic animals and plants.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (48)...)

Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus) [XC295415]
by Marc Anderson from Waikanae, Kapiti Coast District, Wellington, New Zealand (call)

Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus) [XC526206]
by Marc Anderson from P\u016bkorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre (near Miranda), Waikato District, Waikato, New Zealand (call)

Subspecies
Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) and Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus) are retained as separate species by BirdLife International whereas Christidis and Boles (1994) and Turbott (1990) include Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus) as a subpecies of Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus). Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) and White-backed Stilt (Himantopus melanurus) have been lumped into Himantopus mexicanus following AOU (1998), SACC (2006) and a review by the BirdLife Taxonomic Working Group.

Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus).

No subspecies.

Similar Species
Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae)
Larger. From a distance or in silhouette. Has a rusty head. White in wings, white back. Bill is strongly upcurved near the tip. Legs, pale blue-grey. Feet are webbed.

Banded Stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus)
Larger. White trailing edges to wings. Underwings white, only wing tips black. Adult have orange-pink legs, immatures have grey legs. Adults have a chestnut breastband and an all white head. Immatures lack a breastband and have an all white head. Feet are not webbed.

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
Similar size. Hindneck is black.

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References
See References.

Files:

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BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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