Prakruti Parichay
RecurvirostridaeHimantopus

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

35–40 cmLarge
Beak
—
Feet
—
Crest
No crest

Resident or summer visitor in Pakistan, NW India and Sri Lanka; widespread winter visi tor. Slender appearance. with long pinkish lags. and a fine straight bill. Black upperwing strongly contrasts with white back Vin flight. Adult at rest shows mainly white head, neck and underbody, contrasting with upper parts. and reddish-pink legs. Both sexes can show variable amounts of black and/or dusky grey on the crown and hind neck. Juvenile has browner upparparts with buff fringes. Voice A noisy wader, readily agitated; call sinclude kek... /eek and a rather anxious klkiklkikl. Gregarious throughout the year; sometimes breeds in colonies. A graceful wader that walks slowly a nddeliberately. Forages on dry mud and by wading into the shallows; sometimes immerses head a ndneck in water. Eats insects and also aquatic invertebrates and small fish. Freshwater wetlands, brackish marshes. irrigation tanks and saltpans.

Colour

BlackWhitePinkGrey
Average size
37.5 cm
Habitat
Freshwater wetlands, brackish marshes. irrigation tanks and saltpans.
Behaviour
Resident or summer visitor in Pakistan, NW India and Sri Lanka, widespread winter visi tor., Gregarious throughout the year, sometimes breeds in colonies. A graceful wader that walks slowly a nddeliberately. Forages on dry mud and by wading into the shallows, sometimes immerses head a ndneck in water. Eats insects and also aquatic invertebrates and small fish.

About this bird

Resident or summer visitor in Pakistan, NW India and Sri Lanka; widespread winter visi tor. Slender appearance. with long pinkish lags. and a fine straight bill. Black upperwing strongly contrasts with white back Vin flight. Adult at rest shows mainly white head, neck and underbody, contrasting with upper parts. and reddish-pink legs. Both sexes can show variable amounts of black and/or dusky grey on the crown and hind neck. Juvenile has browner upparparts with buff fringes. Voice A noisy wader, readily agitated; call sinclude kek... /eek and a rather anxious klkiklkikl. Gregarious throughout the year; sometimes breeds in colonies. A graceful wader that walks slowly a nddeliberately. Forages on dry mud and by wading into the shallows; sometimes immerses head a ndneck in water. Eats insects and also aquatic invertebrates and small fish. Freshwater wetlands, brackish marshes. irrigation tanks and saltpans.

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Black-winged Stilt is bigger than Eurasian Coot but smaller than Alpine Chough.

This bird

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

35–40 cm