About the Black Stilt
The black stilt or kakī (Māori), is a wading bird found in New Zealand. It is one of the world's rarest birds, with 169 adults surviving in the wild as of May 2020. Adult kakī have distinctive black plumage, long pink legs, and a long thin black bill. Black stilts largely breed in the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island, and are threatened by introduced feral cats, ferrets, and hedgehogs as well as habitat degradation from hydroelectric dams, agriculture, and invasive weeds.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Black stilts are a medium-sized (220 g) wader with extremely long pink legs, red eyes, distinctively black plumage, and a long slender black bill. Juveniles have a white breast, neck and head, with a black patch around the eyes, and black belly feathers that distinguish them from pied stilts. Black adult plumage appears in their first or second year. Black plumage may be an adaptation to "absorb heat better in the cold, windswept habitat of glacial riverbeds and lakeshores".
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the Black Stilt lives
When to see the Black Stilt
Peak activity in November · a summer visitor species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Pied StiltHimantopus leucocephalusThe pied stilt grows to a length of about 14 in (36 cm) with a wingspan of about 26.5 in (67 cm).
Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopusAdults are 33–36 cm (13–14 in) long, with long, pink legs, and a long, rather thin black bill.
Black-necked StiltHimantopus mexicanusMeasurements:
Length: 13.8–15.3 in (35–39 cm)
Weight: 5.3–6.2 oz (150–180 g)
Wingspan: 28.1–29.7 in (71–75 cm)
They have long pink legs and a long thin black bill.
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