Black-winged Stilt

An elegant wader with the longest legs relative to its body size of any bird. It has a jet-black back, a pure white body, and long pink legs. It lives in shallow wetlands, salt pans, and lagoons. In Europe, it is primarily a summer visitor to the south. It has been expanding its range northward due to rising temperatures.

Stilts forage by picking insects and crustaceans from the water's surface. Their long legs allow them to wade into deeper water than other small waders. They are very noisy on breeding grounds and give a sharp 'yip-yip-yip' alarm call. In flight, their long pink legs trail far behind their tail.