Quick identification
Black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
An unmistakable black-and-white shorebird balanced on extremely long pink legs, with a thin straight black bill.
Season and local range: Regular resident and warm-season breeder.
Habitat and island setting
Shallow ponds, salt flats, flooded roadside basins and lagoon edges.
Where to look
Causeway flats, bayside wetlands and nearby refuge ponds can hold feeding groups when water depth is right. Birds may move as tides, wind, fronts, water levels and activity at the site change.
What the bird is doing
Adults become loud and conspicuous around nests or chicks. Alarm calls mean back away; never follow a bird that appears to be distracting you.
Watching birds
Use binoculars or a camera zoom, stay on public paths and leave feeding, resting and nesting birds enough room to continue normal behavior. If a bird stops feeding, stands alert, calls repeatedly or moves away because of you, increase the distance. Check access information in the South Padre Island birding guide before making a special trip.