BLACK-NECKED STILT 



226. Himantopus mexicanus. 15 in. 



Legs extremely long, and bright red; neck and bill 

 moderately long and slender. Male black and white 

 as shown; female and young with the back brownish. 

 These very long-legged creatures are found in suitable 

 places west of the Mississippi River, and are especially 

 abundant in southern California. Stilts are poor swim- 

 mers, but habitually feed in comparatively deep water, 

 that is up to their bodies, their whole head, neck and 

 upper parts of the body often being submerged while 

 thus engaged. They are strong and swift on the wing, 

 twisting as they fly, so as to alternately show their 

 black upper parts, then the white surfaces beneath ; this 

 is a habit that is common to several varieties of shore 

 birds. 



Nest. On the ground as usual; eggs greenish-bun', 

 spotted with black (1.80x1.25) ; May, June. 



Range. Breeds in the Gulf states and southern Call- 

 fornia, north to Dakota; winters south of U. S., except 

 in southern California. Rare on the Atlantic coast. 

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