Black-winged Stilt

Common Name	Black-winged StiltBirdlife International
Species name	Himantopus himantopusBirdlife International
Family	Recurvirostridae
Genus
Local Name	Country Appearance Local name Brunei Darussalam     Cambodia     China     Indonesia     Japan Yes セイタカシギ Lao PDR     Malaysia     Mongolia     Myanmar     Philippines     Republic of Korea     Singapore     Thailand     Vietnam

 

Visual and Sound Image

Photos

Black-winged Stilt

Videos

 

Sounds

 

Identification

No descriptions

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Range Description

No descriptions

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Ecology

Ecology (Behaviour)

Northern populations of this species make long-distance migratory movements, travelling southwards to their wintering grounds between August and November and returning to their breeding areas between March and April2. In more temperate regions the species is sedentary or only locally dispersive however1. The species breeds solitarily or in loose colonies of 2-50 or occasionally up to several hundred pairs1, 4. It is typically a gregarious species, occurring in small groups6 (up to 15 individuals)1, 4 or larger flocks of several hundred up to a thousand individuals on migration, during the winter4, 6 and at nightly roosts4.

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Habitat

<Breeding> The species typically breeds in shallow freshwater and brackish wetlands with sand, mud or clay substrates and open margins, islets or spits near water level6. Suitable habitats include marshes and swamps, shallow lake edges, riverbeds, flooded fields1, irrigated areas6, sewage ponds1 and fish-ponds6. The species may also breed around alkaline and high-altitude (montane) lakes1 or in more saline environments such as river deltas, estuaries6, coastal lagoons3, 6 and shallow coastal pools with extensive areas of mudflats, salt meadows3, saltpans, coastal marshes1 and swamps6.
<Non-breeding> Outside of the breeding season the species occupies the shores of large inland waterbodies and estuarine or coastal habitats1 such as river deltas6, coastal lagoons3, 6 and shallow freshwater or brackish pools with extensive areas of mudflats, salt meadows3, saltpans, coastal marshes1 and swamps6.

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Diet

Its diet is strongly seasonal1 but generally includes adult and larval aquatic insects (e.g. Coleoptera, Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Hemiptera, Odonata, Diptera, Neuroptera and Lepidoptera), molluscs, crustaceans, spiders, oligochaete and polychaete worms, tadpoles1 and amphibian spawn4, small fish, fish eggs1 and occasionally seeds4.

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Breeding Site

The nest is a depression5 or shallow scrape positioned on hard ground near water on a hummock5 or amongst grass and sedge1. Alternatively the nest may be a more elaborate platform of vegetation6 constructed on a floating mass of aquatic vegetation1. The species nests singly or in loose colonies1, showing a preference for open areas close to foraging sites with good all-round (360 degree) visibility3.

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References

1. del Hoyo et al. (1996). 2. Hayman et al. (1986). 3. Johnsgard (1981). 4. Urban et al. (1986). 5. Flint et al. (1984). 6. Snow and Perrins (1998). 7. Melville and Shortridge (2006). 8. Blaker (1967). 9. van Heerden (1974).

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Status

International Status

IUCN Red List Category

LC

Justification

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
<Trend justification> The overall population trend is increasing, although some populations may be stable and others have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006).

 

National Status

Country	Category	Reference
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
China
Indonesia
Japan	VU(as Himantopus himantopus himantopus)	http://www.biodic.go.jp/rdb/rdb_f.html
Korea
Lao PDR
Malaysia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam

 

Management

Threat

The species is susceptible to avian influenza7 and avian botulism8, 9 so may be threatened by future outbreaks of these diseases.

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Information

No descriptions

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Current Conservation

No descriptions

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Current Conservation

No descriptions

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Legal Protection

Country	Status	Reference
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
China
Indonesia
Japan
Korea
Lao PDR
Malaysia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam

 

Related Links

 

Range

Geographical Information

Migration Route

 

Asian Waterbird Census

Descriptions

The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) was initiated in 1987 and runs in parallel with other waterbird censuses carried out in Africa, Europe, Central and West Asia and Latin America under the umbrella of the International Waterbird Census (IWC), which is organised by Wetlands International.

The AWC takes place annually, during the second and third weeks of January, and is carried out by volunteers interested in collecting information on waterbirds and wetlands as a basis for contributing to their conservation.

Reference: Li, Z.W.D., Bloem, A., Delany S., Martakis G. and Quintero J. O. 2009. Status of Waterbirds in Asia - Results of the Asian Waterbird Census: 1987-2007. Wetlands International, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Census Data

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual					4																	13
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)					1																	2
The total number of count sites	2	3	3	2	4	4	0	4	4	4	4	5	5	0	0	0	9	0	0	1	0	9
CAMBODIA	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual								85			100			23	42	44	22		35	407	35	400
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)								1			4			4	3	3	2		3	3	2	1
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	11	0	0	12	12	11	5	1	6	9	6	6
CHINA	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual			7	9	29	238	9	11										15	9	4		19
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)			1	2	2	2	1	1										2	4	1		2
The total number of count sites	0	1	34	12	50	60	67	29	6	14	6	15	21	20	14	10	22	45	80	81	59	72
INDONESIA	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual					107						2					45		4
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)					3						1					2		1
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	1	19	8	17	17	15	19	16	0	0	47	12	10	40	34	14	16	15	23
JAPAN	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual								29	41	30	51				320	225	174	79	123	153	172	80
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)								3	6	3	3				12	11	9	11	10	8	9	8
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	53	39	52	47	20	50	40	47	37	41	37	107	112	103	109	97	159	142	137
LAO PDR	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual																3
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)																1
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	2	4	5	3	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	14	1	0	0	0	1	0	0
MALAYSIA	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual				4	4	2	11							16	12		30	44	24	82	13	23
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)				1	1	1	1							2	1		2	2	3	4	3	3
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	59	68	93	85	17	10	7	10	0	0	20	25	25	25	43	43	82	82	40
MYANMAR	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual		81	326	46	460	739	30	234	328	231	34	410	15		160	988	519	491	42	2037	18	26
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)		2	1	4	7	6	3	7	5	5	2	2	1		3	17	16	17	2	4	2	3
The total number of count sites	0	5	3	12	17	15	21	20	13	12	2	4	2	0	7	32	47	73	24	31	32	19
PHILIPPINES	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual					633	10	19	131	52	382	106	537	48	245	299	117	764	1041	932	5583	2758	4339
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)					5	4	5	2	6	3	2	2	2	8	11	5	11	10	13	15	14	18
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	0	19	21	34	39	46	47	39	28	29	32	43	38	50	47	56	54	65	108
SINGAPORE	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	0	4	12	17	15	13	14	10	10	6	11	10	10	8	9	9	8	8	7
REPUBLIC OF KOREA	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual																			5	1	2	4
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)																			2	1	1	2
The total number of count sites	0	0	10	12	22	20	20	15	10	22	25	22	14	68	99	112	118	116	117	123	127	127
THAILAND	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual	275	1		675	424	420	510	317	98	44		333		415	1914	25	48	495	2119	5890	5300	3926
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)	3	1		7	8	4	5	3	2	2		1		1	2	2	2	9	8	35	36	22
The total number of count sites	10	8	3	20	26	12	23	16	17	5	9	3	1	1	7	3	9	26	20	82	99	33
VIETNAM	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual				1	92		167	5		27	55			31		25	702			13	32	10
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)				1	1		1	1		1	1			2		1	3			3	1	2
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	1	2	0	1	4	0	1	1	0	1	8	2	2	16	4	4	9	6	11

 

Population

Descriptions

 

Population Trend

 

Additional Information

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Climate change species distributions

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Other Information

• Detailed species account from Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status (BirdLife International 2004)