Banded Stilt
Cladorhynchus leucocephalus
The Banded Stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus) is a rare stilts and avocet found only in Australia, weighing about 216 g. The banded stilt is a nomadic wader of the stilt and avocet family, Recurvirostridae, native to Australia.
About the Banded Stilt
The banded stilt is a nomadic wader of the stilt and avocet family, Recurvirostridae, native to Australia. It belongs to the monotypic genus Cladorhynchus. It gets its name from the red-brown breast band found on breeding adults, though this is mottled or entirely absent in non-breeding adults and juveniles. Its remaining plumage is pied and the eyes are dark brown. Nestling banded stilts have white down, unlike any other species of wader.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The banded stilt is 45–53 cm (18–21 in) long and weighs 220–260 g (7.8–9.2 oz), with a wingspan of 55–68 cm (22–27 in). Adults in breeding plumage are predominantly white with black wings and a broad well-demarcated u-shaped chestnut band across the breast. The central part of the base of the upper tail is tinted a pale grey-brown. The slender bill is black, relatively straight, and twice as long as the head. The irises are dark brown and the legs and feet are a dark red-pink. The wings are long and slim and have eleven primary flight feathers, with the tenth being the longest.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Banded Stilt can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Banded Stilt?
- The banded stilt is 45–53 cm (18–21 in) long and weighs 220–260 g (7.8–9.2 oz), with a wingspan of 55–68 cm (22–27 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Banded Stilt?
- The Banded Stilt is a medium sized bird weighing about 216 g.
- Where can you see a Banded Stilt?
- The Banded Stilt is endemic to Australia, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Banded Stilt?
- The Banded Stilt is most easily confused with the Andean Avocet, the Black Stilt and the Red-necked Avocet.
- Is the Banded Stilt endangered?
- The Banded Stilt is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Banded Stilt for real
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