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Montana Animal Field Guide

Montana Field Guides

Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus

  • Black-necked Stilt, In Shallow Water
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Species of Concern

Global Rank: G5
State Rank: S3B

Agency Status
USFWS: none
USFS: none
BLM: none
CFWCS Tier: 3
PIF: 3
 

General Description
Black-necked Stilts are a tall, slender wader with a long, straight, slender bill, black (male) or brownish (female) upperparts, white underparts, very long red or pink legs and feet, and a white spot above the eye. Immatures have buffy edges on the dark feathers of the upperparts.

Diagnostic Characteristics
This species is unmistakable.

General Distribution
Montana Range



Western Hemisphere Range

 


Summary of Observations Submitted for Montana
Number of Observations: 205

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density

Recency

Breeding
(direct evidence "B")

Breeding
(indirect evidence "b")

No evidence of Breeding
(transient "t")

Overwintering
(regular observations "W")

Overwintering
(at least one obs. "w")


 

(Records associated with a range of dates are excluded from time charts)



Migration
Extreme migration dates in Montana are April 12, 1985 at Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge (K. Dubois) and September 9, 1995 at Helena Valley Reregulating Reservoir (G. Holton).

Habitat
In Montana, Black-necked Stilts nest in medium to large wetland complexes of open marshes and meadows, often in alkali areas.

Food Habits
Diet consists of aquatic invertibrates and fish.

Ecology
A chick was killed by a California Gull at Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area on June 13, 1993 (M. Schwitters).

Reproductive Characteristics
One nest with 4 eggs was reported from Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge on May 14, 1977. The nest is a simple scrape located on the ground, often in a somewhat or completely open area. The nest is typically found near the edge of the water; the nest bottom may be wet.

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Citation for data on this website:
Black-necked Stilt — Himantopus mexicanus.  Montana Field Guide.  Retrieved on February 9, 2010, from http://FieldGuide.mt.gov/detail_ABNND01010.aspx
 
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