Black-winged Stilt
Scientific Name: Himantopus himantopusMaltese Name: Fras-servjent
Family: Avocets and Stilts Recurvirostridae)
Occurence: Common
Breeds in Malta: No
Overview:
The Black-winged Stilt is a gracefull long-legged wader. The adults have long pink legs, a long thin black bill and are blackish above and white below. Their head is white and their neck has varying amounts of black. These birds pick up their food from sand or water. The long legs make it easy for these birds to take the food which is out of reach for most other shoreline waders. They mainly eat insects and crustaceans. The nest site is a bare spot on the ground near water. These birds often nest in small groups, sometimes with avocets.
Status:
Common Wader. Generally singles or small flocks are seen in Ghadira, Simar and Salina. Larger flocks are sometimes seen in the reserves or flying near the coast. One pair, at Ghadira Nature reserve, in Spring 2008 was seen copulating and carrying out breeeding displays but it did not breed.
When to See:
Spring, Summer and Autumn.
Where to See:
Simar and Ghadira Nature Reserves, Salina Saltpans and the coast.
Photographs:
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| Male Black-winged Stilt, Ghadira Nature Reserve |
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| Black-winged Stilts, Simar Nature Reserve. | Flock of Black-winged Stilts, Gnejna Bay, Spring 2009. |
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| Flock of Black-winged Stilts, Salina Saltpans, Autumn 2010 |
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| Adult male Black-winged Stilt, Simar Nature Reserve. | Mating Black-winged Stilts, Ghadira Nature Reserve, April 2008. |
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| Female Black-winged Stilt, Ghadira Nature Reserve |
Listen to Black-winged Stilt:
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