Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus (Linnaeus, 1758)

		adult juvenile in flight nest
2010-07-08 Zhangala region, West-Kazakhstan oblast 2010-09-02 Sorbulak lake, Almaty oblast2011-07-16 Kanshengel, Taukum sands, Southern Trans-Balkhash area2011-06-05 Kanshengel, Taukum sands, Almaty oblast	© Askar Isabekov © Raufael Bairashev© Raufael Bairashev© Gennadiy Dyakin

Distribution

Breeds in plains of southern part of Kazakhstan in north to Kamysh-Samar lakes, Utva-Ilek interfluves, Naurzum, Petropavlovsk and Zaysan depression. In 1989 occurs on breeding in some places at area adjacent to Irtysh river in Pavlodar oblast. On migration occurs almost everywhere.

Biology

Common breeding migrant. Inhabits the fresh and salty lakes with shallow coastal water and muddy, sandy or pebbly shores. In spring arrives in mid-March in southern areas, and in early – mid-April or even in May in northern ones, flies by small flocks of 5-15 birds. Breeds in colonies of one-three dozen pairs mostly, together with terns, gulls and other waders often. Nest is located on islands, small hummocks in shallow water, or on wet shore near water. Nest is either the hole on ground lined with some dry grass, or the large construction up to 25 cm of diameter made from the dry grass stems and is lined with soft leaves in case of location the nest among the water. On increasing the water level, birds raise the height of nest to safe eggs of flooding. Clutch of 4, rare of 3 eggs (sometimes two females lay eggs to one nest) is produced from end April until mid-June. Such long breeding period depends not only on the different latitudes of breeding sites, but also by re-nesting after loss of first clutch. Both parents incubate and care for chicks, which hatch in May – July. After the juveniles begin to fly (early June - end August) the Stilts wander for some time, and then gather in flocks. Flight visually unnoticed because Stilts fly very high above the ground. From northern Stilts disappear at the end of August, from the south ones at the beginning or middle of September.

Subspecies

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.