The Black-necked Stilt 
No. 233 
Black-necked Stilt 
A. O. U. No. 226. Himantopus mexicanus (Muller). 
Description. — Adult male in breeding plumage: Black-and-white. Under¬ 
parts, including axillars (but not lining of wings), face nearly to eye, forehead, a blotch 
below and behind eye, sides of cervix (invading black), lateral and upper tail-coverts, 
and rump, white, suffused on throat and breast in varying proportions by dull pinkish 
(pale vinaceous buff); tail pale gray, brownish gray, or dusky; remaining upperparts, 
including lining of wings, lustrous black with greenish reflections. Bill, bent slightly 
upwards at middle, black; iris carmine; feet and legs bright red (drying yellowish), 
nails black. Adult male at other seasons: Without pink flush of underparts. Adult 
female: Similar to adult male, but without pinkish flush, and black of back and 
scapulars replaced by sooty brown. Immature: Like adult female, but black of back, 
etc., bordered, and that of head and neck finely mottled, with dull whitish or buff. 
Downy young are mottled ochraceous buff and black above, clearer buffy below. 
Measurements: length about 381 (15.00); wing (av. of 10 Berkeley specimens) 228.8 
(9.01); bill 64.9 (2.555); tarsus 109.3 (4-3°); exposed portion of tibia 70.5 (2.775). 
The total length of the legs, the “stilts” proper, represented in a series of 16 skins, 
is very variable, 160-250 (6.30-9.85) (exposed portion, including outstretched toes), 
the females inclining to the smaller and the males to the larger of these dimensions. 
Recognition Marks. —Tern size, but appearing larger; long legs and black-and- 
white coloration distinctive. 
Nesting. — Nest: A simple platform of weathered weed-stalks and grasses, 
on ground near marsh, or else a pyramid of such materials built up out of shallow water. 
Eggs: 4, 5 of record; dark olive-buff, with a yellowish or greenish tinge, boldly spotted 
or vermiculated and blotched with black and, rarely, a little sepia. Av. of 48 eggs 
(including 4 sets of 5 from Los Banos) in the M. C. O. coll.: 42.9 x 30.5 (1.69 x 1.20); 
index 71. The longest egg measuring 44.96 (1.77) is .51mm (.02) shorter than the 
shortest Avocet egg (see under Avocet); so that these two eggs are almost certainly 
distinguishable under any circumstance. 
General Range. —Warm temperature North America, Middle and South 
America, to Amazonia and Peru. Breeds in suitable localities nearly throughout 
its present range. Breeds from central Oregon, southern Idaho, and southern Colo¬ 
rado, southward; also from the coast of South Carolina southward through Georgia, 
Florida, and the West Indies. Formerly bred north to New Jersey. Winters from 
southern Lower California, southern Texas, Louisiana and Florida southward. 
Distribution in California. —Common summer resident in interior sections, 
especially the San Joaquin-Sacramento Valley, and in the Modoc district. Also 
breeds in interior sections of the San Diegan district; formerly in brackish coastwise 
marshes,—Oceanside, Nigger Slough, the Estero (Santa Barbara), etc. Occurs more 
widely during migrations, appearing coastwise north to Marin County. 
Authorities.—Gambel ( Himantopus nigricollis) , Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 
ser. 2, i., 1849, p. 224 (Santa Barbara); Cones, Birds of the Northwest, 1874, p. 462 
(syn., desc., habits, etc.); Tyler, Pac. Coast Avifauna, no. 9, 1913, p. 25 (San Joaquin 
Valley; habits). 
1204 
