Wednesday 14 September 2022

Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Himantopus (species specific name) mexicanus (of Mexico)

Adult Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) at Monterey, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 150-180g  /  Length: 35-39cm  /  Wingspan: 71-75cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The taxonomy of the stilts is something of a mess frankly, with multiple layers of nesting being lumped or split depending on authority - in this case the Black-necked is the intermediate level - the taxon found in North America which is considered by some to be a subspecies of the "Common Stilt" which would also include the Black-winged of Eurasia.  It in turn may or may not contain the White-backed and Hawaiian Stilts as subspecies, or they may be full in their own right. Either way, as with all stilts, it is a delightful bird with the trademark comically long legs.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Recurvirostridae
Genus: Himantopus
SUBSPECIES: Depends on authority, White-back Stilt and Hawaiian Stilt are sometimes considered subspecies, but for here will be considered separate

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
A species with variable status in the Southern-half of the Lower 48 and migrant breeder in the North-West.
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at BerkeleyMonterey and Hayward

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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