Order GHARADRIIFORMES 
No. 183. 
Family REGURVIR08TRIDM. 
HYPSIBATES LEUCOCEPHALUS ASSIMILIS. 
NORTHERN WHITE-HEADED STILT. 
(Plate 141.)* 
Hypsibates LEircocEPHALiJS ASSIMILIS Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 219, 1912 ; 
North-west Australia. 
Himantopus leucocephalus Keartland, Trans. Roy. Soc. South Austr., Vol. XXII., p. 187, 
1898 ; HaU, Emu, Vol. II., p. 65, 1902 ; Carter, ib., Vol. III., p. 176, 1904 ; Hartert, 
Nov. Zool., Vol. XII., p. 201, 1905 ; Ingram, Ibis 1907, p. 393. 
Hypsibates leucocephalus assimilis Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 219, 1912. 
Distribution. West Australia, Northern Territory. 
Adult male. Hind-neck, mantle, scapulars, and wings, both above and below, glossy 
black with obsolete wavy cross-bars on the long innermost scapulars ; head, lower 
hind-neck and back below the mantle pure white ; taU also white, the middle 
feathers tinged with grey ; throat and entire under-surface white including the 
axillaries ; primary- and secondary-quills below fringed with white at the tips ; 
bill black ; iris dark red ; tarsi and feet pink. Total length 388 mm. ; culmen 59, 
wing 223-230, tail 75, tarsus 109-119. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male but smaller, and the feathers of the mantle 
and scapulars inclining to brown. 
Immature male. Distinguished from the adult by the dark grey on the head and nape, 
the brown on the back and scapulars and the darker tips to the tail-feathers. Some 
of the feathers of the back have white edgings and the under wing-coverts are 
margined with white. As the bird advances in age the grey on the head and hape 
disappears. 
Nest. Similar to that made by H. 1. leucocephalus. 
Eggs. Similar to those of the Eastern bird. 
Breeding-season. May to September (Carter). 
Mr. Tom Carter writes : “ These Stilts occur at pools and swamps in some 
numbers after heavy rains. In 1900 scores of them were breeding in the 
flooded salt marsh at Maund’s Landing, from May 1st to September 12th. 
Most of the nests were on the ground in small islands, but scores were built 
in the tops of samphire bushes standing out of the water, and were quite 
compact structures. The prolonged laying season (5 months) was caused 
by constant robbing of the eggs by natives and passing teamsters, and they 
The Plate is lettered Sypsihates leucocephalus, 
151 
