Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
Black-winged Stilt, France, April 2000 - click for larger image Camargue, France
April 2000

The Black-winged Stilt has unbelievably long, pink legs, a thin black bill, black wings and white underparts. The long legs allow it to feed in deeper water than most other waders.

Black-winged Stilt, France, April 2000 - click for larger image It is a fairly cosmopolitan bird with subspecies present in Europe, South-East Asia and Australasia, Hawaii, and North, Central and South America.

It feeds on aquatic insects, worms, tadpoles, etc..

The European birds winter in sub-Saharan Africa leaving between August and November and returning in March and April.
There are illustrations in HBW, Pages 334, 335 and 344 and in Shorebirds, Plate 10.
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