[Length 14 in. Wingspan 29 in.]

The long, spindly proportions, black-and-white pattern, and bright pinkish legs immediately identify this bird as a Black-necked Stilt. The black of the back extends up the back of the neck, hence the name Black-necked Stilt. Black-necked Stilts occur in the temperate regions of North, Central, and South America. In North America they breed along the east coast of the US from Delaware to Florida, across the Gulf states to Texas, and in the western Great Plains and basins of the western US. The Black-necked Stilt was once thought to be the same species as the Eurasian Black-winged Stilt [Himantopus himantopus], which has little or no black on the head and neck. This one was photographed along the refuge road at Anahuac NWR in eastern Texas. Photo taken with a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor ED lens on Ektachrome 200 film pushed to 400. (Date: March 1983)

[Length 14 in. Wingspan 29 in.]

This Black-necked Stilt was photographed at Estero Llano Grande State Park, TX. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens + Nikkor TC20E II 2.0x Teleconverter (EFL=900mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: August 7, 2006)

[Length 14 in. Wingspan 29 in.]

This immature Black-necked Stilt was photographed at Estero Llano Grande State Park, TX. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens + Nikkor TC20E II 2.0x Teleconverter (EFL=900mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: August 7, 2006)

[Length 14 in. Wingspan 29 in.]

This Black-necked Stilt in flight was photographed at the Andrews Bird Viewing Trail, Andrews, TX. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: July 27, 2009)

[Length 6 in. Wingspan 11.5 in.]

This Long-toed Stint was photographed on Attu Island, Alaska. Photo taken with a Nikkor 500mm f8.0 mirror lens on Ektachrome 800 film. (Date: May 1988)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 14 in.]

Red-necked Stints breed in the high Arctic of northcentral and northwestern Siberia. They are common migrants along the Pacific coast of Asia, but rare vagrants in western Alaska. This one, in full breeding plumage, was photographed in Henderson Marsh on Attu Island in Alaska. Photo taken with a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor ED lens on Ektachrome 200 film. (Date: May 1984)

[Length 6.25 in. Wingspan 14 in.]

This Red-necked Stint, in full breeding plumage, was photographed in Henderson Marsh on Attu Island in Alaska. Photo taken with a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor ED lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: May 1984)

[Length 10 in. Wingspan 26 in.]

Surfbirds breed in tundra foothills in eastern Alaska and western Canada. They are common migrants and wintering birds along the west coast of the US. This one was photographed on the beach at Marina Del Rey in southern California. Photo taken with a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor ED lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: April 1982)