The Black-winged Stilt, delicate ballerina of shallow waters
With impossibly long bubblegum-pink legs accounting for nearly 60% of its total height, the Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is the undisputed ballerina of Mediterranean salt marshes, wading with fairytale grace.
My field observations in the Var — sites, months and context
✓ Aug 2026 Synthesis (2 records)Common from April to September at Les Pesquiers and Les Vieux Salins. It nests in loose colonies on isolated muddy hummocks, fiercely warning off intruders with shrill piping yelps.
Commented in situ photo gallery
1 telephoto photographs taken in the Var department (Rule 11)
Recognizing the species on my photos — visible details
Striking black-and-white graphic plumage, disproportionately long bright pink legs, straight needle-fine black bill, and glossy black or dusky markings on the crown and mantle.
Salt pans, shallow coastal lagoons, flooded mudflats and seasonal wetlands.
Aquatic insects, mosquito larvae, brine worms, water beetles and tiny crustaceans.
Photographing the species: field experience
Shooting low to the water to capture its mirror reflection against tranquil brine surfaces produces images of exceptional geometric purity.
- •Relative to body size, the Black-winged Stilt possesses the longest legs of any bird in the world second only to the flamingo.
- •When protecting nests, adults perform a dramatic broken-wing distraction display to lure predators away from chicks.
- •It migrates south in late August, traversing the Sahara desert to winter in wetlands across tropical West Africa.
