Black-winged Stilt

The black-winged stilt is a very long-legged wader, 33–36cm long, with long pink legs and a long, thin black bill. It is black above and white below, with a white head and neck carrying a variable amount of black. Males have a black back, often with a greenish gloss, while females' backs are browner against the black flight feathers; females tend to show less black on the head, and males often grow all-white heads in winter. Immatures are greyer with a sandy tone to the wings and pale feather edges (Wikipedia, general species account).

Its taxonomy is disputed. The name is sometimes used for a single, almost worldwide species, and sometimes only for the form of Europe, Asia and Africa, with the black-necked stilt of the Americas, the white-backed stilt and the pied stilt of Australasia treated separately; most sources accept between one and four species. It belongs to the same family as the avocets. SoIB 2023 lists it as resident in India with local movements and a very large range, finds its trends uncertain, and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).