BLACK-NECKED STILT 



347 



red on the head and neck region as does the Avocet, save that males 

 of the former species have a pinkish blush on the throat and breast. 



The Black-necked Stilt forages along the grassy or muddy shores 

 of shallow inland ponds and lakes, fresh, brackish and stagnant. It 

 walks about in a sedate fashion, with a deliberate but jerky movement, 

 the long legs being sharply bent at the "heel" and raised far up behind 

 at each step. When standing, the feet are not spread apart as in the 

 ease of some waders, the legs being held vertically parallel. A notable 

 mannerism is that of abruptly jerking the head upwards at frequent 

 intervals, with immediate recovery. When chasing insects on land a 

 Stilt will sometimes run about swiftly with wings upstretched, perhaps 

 to aid it in quickly turning and 

 tacking in its cliase. When 

 working in soft mud and prob- 

 ing for food it drives its bill 

 into mud "up to the hilt." 

 When wading about and feeding 

 in mud beneath the surface of 

 the water its body is tilted for- 

 ward and downward, the legs 

 being used as fulcra. The birds 

 while wading are careful not to 

 get beyond their depth, as they 

 are said to be poor swimmers, 

 not comparing at all in this with 

 Avocets. A fact to be noted here 

 is that the foot of the Avocet is 

 almost completely webbed, while 

 that of the Stilt is practically 

 without webbing, the toes being 



free (compare figs. 63 and 61). A Stilt, when wounded, however, 

 and hard pressed, will sometimes resort to swimming. Mortimer 

 (1890, p. 338) tells of a wounded bird that was yet able to use its legs 

 and ran some distance along the shore ; but being pressed it took to 

 the river and swam for the opposite bank. In swimming, the Stilt pro- 

 ceeded in a sort of sidling manner, and rose in the water with each 

 stroke of the feet, continually turning its head from side to side. 

 Tyler (MS) Records an instance of the same sort. 



The flight of this species is straight and steady, with slow-flapping 

 wings, the individuals in a flock keeping fairly close together and 

 wheeling so that the black and white of the upper and lower surfaces 

 appear alternately (Coues, 1874, p. 465). Their astonishingly long 

 legs stretched out behind give them a peculiarly attenuated outline. 



Fig. 63. Top of foot of Black- 

 necked Stilt. Natural size. 



Note practical absence of webbing 

 between front toes, and total absence 

 of a hind toe (compare with fig. 61). 



