Himantopus himantopus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular names
English : Black-winged stilt
French : Échasse blanche

Classification
Class : Aves
Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Recurvirostridae
Notes : No subspecies known

Identification
Adults can reach a length of 40 cm and a weight of 205 g. Very long and thin bright red legs. Long and thin black bill. This species has entirely white plumage except from black wings and sometimes black nape. Dark red eyes.

Range and habitat
This species is found throughout southern half of Asia and Europe and most of subsaharan Africa. Lives in all kinds of shallow wetlands, from marshes to estuaries, up to 4000 m.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species is globally common but Hawaiian race highly endangered. This species is recovering after local declines during XIXth Century.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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