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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	White-backed Stilt	Black Stilt
Scientific Name	Himantopus melanurus	Himantopus novaezelandiae
Order	Charadriiformes	Charadriiformes
Family	Recurvirostridae	Recurvirostridae
Conservation Status	Not Evaluated	Critically Endangered
Length	—	—
Wingspan	—	48.4 cm (19.1 in)
Weight	217.5 g (7.67 oz)	207.5 g (7.32 oz)
Diet	--	--
Clutch Size	4	3-6
Population Trend	—	—

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🌿 Wetland

White-backed Stilt only

🏖️ Coastal

Black Stilt only

None

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Conservation Status

Not Evaluated

White-backed Stilt

Critically Endangered

Black Stilt

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About These Birds

White-backed Stilt

White-backed Stilt (Himantopus melanurus) is a slender 35–38 cm wader of southern South America. Similar to Black-necked Stilt but with distinctive white back and rump contrasting with black wings. Long pink legs. Inhabits shallow freshwater lakes, flooded grassland, and saline lagoons in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.

Black Stilt

Black Stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) is a slender 37–40 cm wader endemic to New Zealand's South Island. Entirely jet-black plumage; long pink-red legs; thin bill. Critically Endangered; only ~100–150 wild birds survive in the upper Waitaki basin braided riverbeds. Intensive captive rearing, predator control, and wetland management ongoing.

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More Birds to Explore

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American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Andean Avocet Recurvirostra andina Banded Stilt Cladorhynchus leucocephalus Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus All Recurvirostridae birds →

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