Birds · Charadriiformes · Recurvirostridae
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The black-winged stilt is an unmistakable wader: black and white with extremely long pink legs and a fine, needle-straight bill. It has the longest legs in proportion to its body of any bird in the world after the flamingos. It breeds in colonies in saltpans, rice fields and shallow lagoons throughout Spain, and defends its nest with mobbing flights and ceaseless calling against any intruder.
Weight
145 g – 200 g
Size
33 cm – 40 cm
Life expectancy
12 years
