Birds of Singapore
by the Bird Society of Singapore
Himantopus himantopus
Family: Stilts and Avocets · Status: Rare migrant and very rare resident · Size: 37.5 cm · Conservation: Not Evaluated
Resident across Africa, southern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, northwestern China, Indochina, and the Thai-Malay Peninsula. Some northern populations migrate south to northern Africa, Arabian Peninsula, southern China, Thailand, the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Singapore, Borneo and the Philippines.
Male has a pencil-thin black bill, very long pink legs, mostly white head with variably grey cap, hindneck and ear-coverts, and black wings. Female similar but browner above. Juveniles have brownish-grey crown and hindneck, brown mantle with buffy fringes and pinkish legs. Adults may have variable amount of black on hindneck, leading to confusion with Pied Stilt; the amount of black on hindneck, best observed on nape and the lower part of the hindneck, is always more extensive on Pied Stilt.
Occurs in both freshwater and coastal habitats: open freshwater wetlands, marshy grasslands, coastal pools, mudflats, and beaches.
Forages in shallow freshwater, brackish, and saltwater wetlands on aquatic prey including beetles, mayflies, spiders, mollusks, crustaceans and small fish.