Fascinating Facts About Avocets & Stilts

Among the ten total global species of avocets and stilts, wading birds that are members of the Recurvirostridae family, there are a lot of interesting information and fascinating facts. Following our Amazing Adaptations post, here are some more facts about these long-legged birds.

Bird Terms Related to Avocets and Stilts

• Avocets and stilts are cosmopolitan -- they can be found nearly all around the world, with the exception of Antarctica. 

• Baby stilts and avocets are precocial. They are covered with down and their eyes are open at hatching. The can walk and feed themselves just hours later.

Taxonomy Tidbits

• A Special Subspecies: The Hawaiian Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) is an endemic, endangered subspecies of the Black-necked Stilt of the Americas. The Hawaiian Stilt is known as the aeʻo or kukuluaeʻo locally, is at risk of extinction due to habitat loss and predation by non-native species (a common problem for native Hawaiian birds).

• The Black-necked Stilt itself is considered to be a subspecies of the Black-winged Stilt by some taxonomic authorities; the AOS (American Ornithological Society) has always considered it to be its own separate species. 

• Taxonomy of the White-backed Stilt is also disputed, with some authorities considering it a subspecies of the Black-necked Stilt rather than its own separate species.

Long-legged and Long-lived!

• The longevity record for a wild American Avocet is just over 15 years for a bird banded in California. 

• The longevity record for a wild Black-necked Stilt is nearly 17 years, known from a bird first banded in 2002 and retrapped and released in 2019. 

• The longevity record for a wild Pied Avocet is nearly 28 years! This is known from bird ringing done in the Netherlands; the ring numbers were read in the field so the final disposition for this individual is unknown.

• The longevity record for a wild Black-winged Stilt is almost 19 years. This information is known from bird ringing done in Portugal and, like the Pied Avocet, was learned from reading ring numbers on a live bird. 

What's In a Name?

• The Pied Avocet is also known as the Black-capped Avocet, the Eurasian Avocet, or simply as Avocet in English-speaking regions of its range.

• The Black Stilt of New Zealand is known as kakī in Maori.

• The Pied Stilt is also commonly known as the White-headed Stilt.

• The Red-necked Avocet has several alternative common names: Australian Avocet; Cobbler's Awl; and Painted Lady. A cobbler's awl is a sharp tool, often with a curved tip, used to punch holes in materials like leather and vinyl. The shape of the cobbler's awl resembles the upcurved beak of avocets.