Scientific Name: Himantopus mexicanus

Residency: Year-round in southeastern corner of Arizona; winters in lower eastern part of state.

Diet: Eats larvae, nymphs, and adult aquatic insects.

Predators: Predators on adults: Peregrine Falcon, Great Horned Owl, Northern Harrier, Great Blue Heron, and red fox. The young are predated on by: Northern Harrier, mink, and kit fox. Eggs are taken by: Northern Harrier, California gulls, Ring-billed gulls, Common Raven, Black-billed Magpie, coyote, and gopher snakes. Also, grazing livestock may trample the eggs.

Nesting: A depression on the ground lined with sticks, shells and mud. Nest in small colonies in a marsh, on a hummock or small island. Eggs: 3-4 per clutch, buff with dark marks. One brood per year.

Nesting Records:

Notes: Black-necked Stilts try to protect nest by rising up to mob predators; they also perform distraction displays.

Photo: Taken at the Riparian Preserve at the Gilbert Water Ranch on November 19, 2006.  For more photos, click on camera icon.

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