The black-winged stilt is a black and white wading bird with incredibly long legs. They live in a variety of wetlands, from marshes to coastal lagoons. They wade through the water, plucking insects from the surface.
The Black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is one of the most fascinating waders seen on the banks of the many water-bodies in our country. Proportionately the longest legged of the waders, with the exception of the flamingo, the tall, lanky, slender-necked, Blackwinged stilt presents a stark visual contrast. Its black wings and white neck and underparts give it the distinctive look of a formally dressed dinner guest! The bright red legs and red iris provide an added dash of colour. In winter both sexes are fairly similar in appearance with dabs of greyish-brown on their heads and necks. The sooty-brown wings of the female are, however, duller than those of the male, which have an added metallic, blue-green sheen. With the onset of summer the adult male sports darker spots on his head extending down to his neck.
Members of the genus Himantopus, are a very variable species, (upto eight are recognised) of which the Black-winged is one. They have an extremely broad breeding range, from temperate to tropical climates and from rain forests to deserts, spreading over Eurasia, Africa, Australia and the Americas. Most members of this family are, however, nomadic, moving as conditions change, with a few northern hemisphere populations migrating over short distances.
The Black-winged stilt is both a resident and a visitor in India. Every winter it makes its way south in small flocks and settles on the edges of marshes, lakes, rivers and tidal areas all over the Indian peninsula. In summer these flocks move northwards again, to nest in the lakes and rivers of northern India, north-west Pakistan and Afghanistan.
