1. Black-winged stilt – Himantopus himantopus
The black-winged stilt is a small coastal bird with a body length of 35-40 cm, a wingspan of 67-73 cm, and a weight of 150-200 g. In an adult, the plumage of the upper body is black, the bottom of the body is white, there is a characteristic bang on the head. The black-winged stilt has long, thin legs that help it to walk in shallow water. The beak is black, long and thin. The black-winged stilt is common in Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. In Ukraine, it nests in the south of the country, on the coast of the Black and Azov Seas.
The black-winged stilt is a migratory bird. It winters in Africa, South Asia and Australia.
The black-winged stilt nests in shallow water, among reeds or other coastal vegetation. The nest is built on the ground, in a small pit.
There are 3-5 eggs in the clutch of a black-winged stilt. The eggs are incubated by the female and the male in turn. Chicks hatch after 24-26 days. After hatching, the chicks grow quickly and begin to fly after a few weeks.
The Black-winged stilt feeds on insects, small crustaceans, and other aquatic invertebrates it finds in shallow water.
The Black-winged stilt is a fairly common species, but in some regions its numbers are declining. The reasons for this are pollution of water bodies, destruction of coastal plants and poaching.
In Ukraine, the Black-winged stilt is listed in the Red Book in the status of "Vulnerable".
Photo: Volodymyr Kucherenko