The Art of Landing
This morning, Mom was busy teaching her two chicks the art of taking to the air and coming back down to earth... Safely. The Chicks, however, were far more interested in probing sand and water while seeking a tasty morsel for breakfast :-)
Nikon - 500mm - 1/2000 @ f6.3 - ISO 360
A striking black-and-white bird with very long, thin red legs, the Black-necked Stilt is found along the edges of shallow water in open country.
They have the second-longest legs in proportion to their bodies of any bird, exceeded only by flamingos.
The oldest recorded Black-necked Stilt was at least 12 years, 5 months old. it was banded in Venezuela and found in the Lesser Antilles.
Black-necked Stilts inhabit shallow wetlands from the western United States to Central America and parts of South America. In the United States, Black-necked Stilts are commonly found in salt ponds, flooded lowlands, or shallow lagoons. Human-maintained wetlands such as sewage ponds or flooded pastures are particularly suitable habitats for these birds, since such environments have some sparse vegetation without being too overgrown.
Black-necked Stilts wade in shallow waters to capture their meals of aquatic invertebrates and fish. They often consume such fare as crawfish, brine flies, brine shrimp, beetles, water boatmen, and tadpoles. They peck, snatch, and plunge their heads into the water in pursuit of their food, and will herd fish into shallow waters to trap them there.
Black-necked Stilts wade for their food, and will only swim or dive when under duress. During breeding and during winter, they are strongly territorial birds, and are particularly aggressive to chicks that are not their own. When not breeding, Black-necked Stilts roost and forage in closely packed groups, often staying within a foot of each other. Black-necked Stilts are semi-colonial when nesting, and they participate en masse in anti-predator displays. The displays include one in which no incubating birds fly up to mob predators, and one in which all birds encircle a predator, hop up and down, and flap their wings.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The Art of Landing
This morning, Mom was busy teaching her two chicks the art of taking to the air and coming back down to earth... Safely. The Chicks, however, were far more interested in probing sand and water while seeking a tasty morsel for breakfast :-)
Nikon - 500mm - 1/2000 @ f6.3 - ISO 360
A striking black-and-white bird with very long, thin red legs, the Black-necked Stilt is found along the edges of shallow water in open country.
They have the second-longest legs in proportion to their bodies of any bird, exceeded only by flamingos.
The oldest recorded Black-necked Stilt was at least 12 years, 5 months old. it was banded in Venezuela and found in the Lesser Antilles.
Black-necked Stilts inhabit shallow wetlands from the western United States to Central America and parts of South America. In the United States, Black-necked Stilts are commonly found in salt ponds, flooded lowlands, or shallow lagoons. Human-maintained wetlands such as sewage ponds or flooded pastures are particularly suitable habitats for these birds, since such environments have some sparse vegetation without being too overgrown.
Black-necked Stilts wade in shallow waters to capture their meals of aquatic invertebrates and fish. They often consume such fare as crawfish, brine flies, brine shrimp, beetles, water boatmen, and tadpoles. They peck, snatch, and plunge their heads into the water in pursuit of their food, and will herd fish into shallow waters to trap them there.
Black-necked Stilts wade for their food, and will only swim or dive when under duress. During breeding and during winter, they are strongly territorial birds, and are particularly aggressive to chicks that are not their own. When not breeding, Black-necked Stilts roost and forage in closely packed groups, often staying within a foot of each other. Black-necked Stilts are semi-colonial when nesting, and they participate en masse in anti-predator displays. The displays include one in which no incubating birds fly up to mob predators, and one in which all birds encircle a predator, hop up and down, and flap their wings.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology