Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus


Black-necked Stilt
Black-necked Stilts, like their cousins the American Avocets, are present year-round in good numbers in the Bay Area, to the great pleasure of local birders and photographers. Males (above) have all-black backs while the backs of females (below) show some brown. These birds are celebrated for their exceptionally-long (stilt-like) bright-pink legs.


Black-necked Stilt

Black-necked Stilt
Another female.


Black-necked Stilt
A first-cycle female, age indicated by the lighter pink of the legs and the light base of the bill.


Black-necked Stilt
Above and below, males, walking in water and flying, with all-black upperparts.


Black-necked Stilt


Black-necked Stilts
Pair flying close together in perfect unison, during nesting season, female above with brown upperparts feathers, male all-black.

Black-necked Stilt
In mid-summer, stilts show worn old feathers and new ones molting in, best seen in flight, above and below.


,Black-necked Stilts


Black-necked Stilts
Above, part of the courting ritual; the female, nearer, adopts the receptive position with neck extended, while the male splashes water on his chest.

Black-necked Stilts
Above, the pair mates.


Black-necked Stilts
And finally, after mating, the pair does a ritual dance together, similar to that
of the American Avocets.

Black-necked Stilts
Incubating a clutch of eggs to hatching is a risky proposition; above, a pair watches as a gopher snake invades their nest, lower right. The snake ultimately ate all four eggs. A close-up from this photo showing the snake in the nest, with one egg in its mouth, is here , and a sequence of pictures showing the whole sad event is here .

,Black-necked Stilts
Despite the risks, nesting usually results in live chicks, which the adults then must protect and feed. Above, an adult male stilt showing a behavior I'd never even know existed before I saw this instance of it: sheltering a newly hatched chick under his wing. Below, an adult female with a downy chick.


Black-necked Stilts


Black-necked Stilts
Above, an adult male with a mostly-grown juvenile that is begging food; below, a similar juvenile, too large to be carried under the male parent's wing as shown further up the page, still seeks and receives shelter there.
 

Black-necked Stilts

Black-necked Stilt
The brown scalloping on the feathers and the brownish-pink legs indicate that the bird above is a juvenile. Finally, below is a three-picture sequence of a downy chick, displaying all the steadiness afoot of any toddler.


Black-necked Stilt


Black-necked Stilt


Black-necked Stilt