Malaysian Birds - the family of Stilts  

 

15  CHARADRIIFORMES: Recurvirostridae

Stilt 

Black-winged Stilt are known by their very distinctive dark pink, long legs and their habit of wading in knee deep water in search of prey. The legs make up to 60% of its overall height. Typically pied [black & white] with red eyes and a straight and long black bill. It hunts by sight and touch plus using the bill to to detect aquatic insects, mollusks, crustaceans, worms, small fishes, eggs, seeds and tadpoles. These assets gives the bird an advantage over other waders.

The bird do not swim while foraging - just feeding and pecking.
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
 

This page featured all 3 birds seen the bird shares the family with other similar looking birds like Ibisbill and Avocets.

 

Black-winged Stilt  Himantopus himantopus 

 Size & diagnostic markings:- The bird is tall and may not look big, in fact it is 40 cm large. Black & white, unmistakable but the variation comes in during teh period when the bird is breeding.
 Distribution :-  Breeds mainly around the coast and inland of African continent other than the western side and across a broad belt across southern Asia
 Habitats & preferences:- This is a lowland fresh water bird and seen where ever there are pools of water. Need not be large ponds but these small body of water must be in a wetland area. Hardly seen in rice fields.
 In Malaysia, where can the bird be found:- Very common bird in the old ex-mining lands of Perak State.

1 Black-winged Stilt

 
2 Black-winged Stilt
 
 
3 Black-winged Stilt
 
 
4 Black-winged Stilt
 
 
5 Black-winged Stilt
 
 
1 Pied Stilt
 
 
2 Pied Stilt
 
 
3 Pied Stilt
 
 
4 Pied Stilt
 
 
5 Pied Stilt
 
 
6 Pied Stilt
 
 
7 Pied Stilt
 
 
1 Avocet
 
 
 
 My personal jottings :-

This bird is easy to detect. The calls are heard long before the birds are seen. Sometimes could tiny dots far across the pond or in another spot behind the sand banks. The display in different places display different behavior on the sight of approaching humans. Most could be fairly accommodating allowing viewers to get fairly close, less than 100 feet. In other spots, the birds take flight upon seeing the arrival of humans.
 
 

With Will would Wander