BLACK-WINGED STILT. I79 



Black-winged Stilt. Hhnantop^is hima7itopus, (Linn.). 



The Black-winged Stilt (Plate 74) breeds in southern Europe 

 and Asia, in some parts in great numbers, ranging eastward 

 from Spain and the south of France ; it is also widespread in 

 Africa. In the more northerly portion of its range it is 

 migrator}', but when the bulk of the birds are travelling in 

 a southerly direction, some, chiefly birds of the year, seem 

 deficient in sense of direction and ramble north. For more 

 than 200 years the Stilt has been accepted as a British bird on 

 the strength of these repeated occurrences. Sibbald's drawing 

 of the first recorded bird, shot in 1684, reproduced by Mr. H. S. 

 Gladstone in the " Birds of Dumfriesshire," though quaint, 

 leaves no doubts as to correct identification. By no means all 

 the records for this species, which are widespread, ranging 

 from the Shetlands to the southern shires, are autumnal ; 

 Gilbert White saw the bird at Frensham in April, and there 

 are several dates for May and June, as well as a number in. 

 winter. 



A novice could identify this very long-legged black and 

 white sandpiper ; indeed, I could safely add a recent Anglesey- 

 record to the ancient one of Montagu, though the fowler wh& 

 shot the bird and threw it away because he did not know what 

 it was only gave a short description ; ten inches of leg on a 

 thirteen-inch bird is not usual. The use of these long shanks 

 is apparent when the bird is feeding ; it wades deeply in the 

 marshy pools, for it is a bird of the open marsh, and snaps 

 right and left at the hovering aquatic flies, or catches the 

 beetles and tadpoles when they come up for air. In flight it is 

 a striking bird with its outstretched neck and bill and legs 

 trailing behind ; its wings are narrow, angled, and pointed. 

 When a nesting colony is invaded the birds will hover with 

 dangling legs, uttering repeated cries of excitement. 



The back and wings of the fully adult bird are glossy 



