Deep Forest Canopy
Species Radar
Stilts and Avocets

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

The black-winged stilt is a widely distributed, very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family Recurvirostridae. Its scientific name, Himantopus himantopus, is sometimes used to generalize a single, almost cosmopolitan species. Alternatively, it is restricted to the form that is widespread in Europe, Asia and Africa, which equals the nominate group of H. himantopus sensu lato. Meanwhile, the black-necked and white-backed stilts both inhabit the Americas; the pied stilt ranges from Australia and New Zealand. Today, most sources accept between one and four actual species.

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Low-Light Telephoto Systems

Identifying specific features of the Black-winged Stilt requires high-contrast magnification. Check out the top-rated 8x42 optics.

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📘 ID Reference Card

Shorebird ID Pocket Reference

Compact pocket-card format — print & fold. Covers plumage, field marks, and song mnemonics.

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