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Manatee County

Audubon Society

Black-necked Stilt

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Name

Black-necked Stilt

Scientific Name

(Himantopus mexicanus)

Why they are special:
  • One of Florida’s most elegant shorebirds, known for their impossibly long pink legs and sharp black-and-white plumage.

  • Their delicate appearance contrasts with their bold behavior—they are fiercely protective of their nests.

  • In Manatee County, they bring a touch of grace to shallow wetlands and coastal flats.
Size and color:
  • A medium-sized shorebird, about 14–17 inches long with a wingspan of 24 inches.

  • Striking black upperparts and white underparts, with a long, thin black bill.

  • Very long, slender pink legs—among the longest relative to body size of any bird.
Seasonality in Florida:
  • Year-round residents in much of Florida, including Manatee County.

  • Most visible during breeding season (spring and summer) when they nest in shallow wetlands.
Habitat:
  • Prefer shallow freshwater and brackish wetlands, mudflats, salt ponds, and coastal marshes.

  • In Manatee County, look for them in flooded fields, saltwater flats, and shallow estuaries.
Diet:
  • Feed mainly on small aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans, insects, and fish fry.

  • Use their long legs to wade and their slender bill to pick prey from the surface or just below the water.
Behavior:
  • Social birds, often in loose colonies during breeding season.

  • Known for loud alarm calls and aerial displays to distract predators from nests.

  • Their nests are shallow scrapes on the ground, often on small islands or mudflats.
Conservation notes:
  • Populations are stable in Florida, though vulnerable to loss of wetland habitat and disturbance at nesting sites.

  • Benefited by conservation of shallow wetlands and coastal estuaries.
Best time to see:
  • Spring through summer when nesting activity is highest in Manatee County.

  • Can also be found year-round in suitable wetlands and salt flats.
Fun Fact:
  • Black-necked Stilts’ legs are about 60% of their total body length, giving them one of the most extreme leg-to-body ratios in the bird world!
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