A black-and-white bird that wades through shallow water on long legs.
It has black-and-white plumage, a long bill and long red legs.
At western Iran’s AghGol wetland (2008) and Shirinsou (2010), Black-winged Stilts’ mean clutch size was 3.4 ± 0.9 eggs and differed significantly between sites. Egg width and volume also differed, possibly reflecting food conditions. Hatching success was 0.7 at Shirinsou and 0.1 at AghGol; newly hatched broods averaged 2.27 ± 1.75 and 0.33 ± 0.93 chicks.
At AghGol, the authors suggest that when water receded during breeding, nests farther from the water had lower breeding success and may have experienced higher egg and chick mortality. The colonies were studied in different years, so other site differences are part of the picture.
IUCN Red List · Least Concern (LC) · Global, species-level assessment
The 2025 global IUCN Red List assessment classifies the Black-winged Stilt as Least Concern (LC). Assessed on 5 June 2025, it estimated 486,000–2,690,000 mature individuals and a stable population trend. The assessment cites its extremely large range as part of the justification. IUCN lists grassland, inland wetlands and coastal shallows; the trend in habitat area or quality is unknown. It also records a systematic monitoring scheme, protected-area occurrence, and conservation sites identified across the range.