Black Stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black Stilt

Himantopus novaezelandiae Gould, 1841

195 gWeight

The black stilt or kakī (Māori), (Himantopus novaezelandiae) is a wading bird found in New Zealand.

Busiest months: February · Most records: New Zealand

Critically Endangered

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: February · Most records: New Zealand

Black Stilt has been recorded at 22 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ashley Estuary south endNew Zealand264 records
  2. GlentannerNew Zealand236 records
  3. Ashley River EstuaryNew Zealand175 records
More places
  1. Ashley/Saltwater Crk Est/Raupo BermNew Zealand20 records
  2. Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora) – Embankment RoadNew Zealand12 records
  3. Miranda – main hide/LimeworksNew Zealand8 records
  4. Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora) – Jarvis RoadNew Zealand5 records
  5. Ambury Regional ParkNew Zealand5 records
  6. Lake Ellesmere(Te Waihora) – Wolfe's Road BayNew Zealand4 records
  7. Timaru – Washdyke LagoonNew Zealand4 records

Countries and regions with the most records

New Zealand

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black stilt or kakī (Māori), (Himantopus novaezelandiae) 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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black Stilt?

The Black Stilt weighs around 195 g.

Where does the Black Stilt live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: central South Island (New Zealand). It is most often recorded in New Zealand.

When is the best time to see the Black Stilt?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Black Stilt endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black Stilt as Critically Endangered.

What does the Black Stilt eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Black Stilt in?

It belongs to the family Stilts, Avocets (Recurvirostridae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Weight
195 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Critically Endangered
More measurements
Wing
242 mm
Tail
78 mm
Bill
72 mm
Tarsus
89 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: central South Island (New Zealand)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Stilts, Avocets Recurvirostridae
Genus
Himantopus

Other birds in the genus Himantopus

Black-winged StiltBlack-winged StiltHimantopus himantopusPied StiltPied StiltHimantopus leucocephalusBlack-necked StiltBlack-necked StiltHimantopus mexicanusWhite-backed StiltWhite-backed StiltHimantopus melanurusBanded StiltBanded StiltCladorhynchus leucocephalusPied AvocetPied AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaAmerican AvocetAmerican AvocetRecurvirostra americanaRed-necked AvocetRed-necked AvocetRecurvirostra novaehollandiaeAndean AvocetAndean AvocetRecurvirostra andina
Black Stilt

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Oscar Thomas. ↗

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