Black-necked Stilt
Black-necked Stilt has risen sharply: up 51% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Black-necked Stilt
The Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) is a North American member of the Avocets & Stilts (Recurvirostridae). In this analysis it is grouped with the shorebirds.
- Size
- 14–18 in long (35–46 cm) — a long-legged shorebird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Shorelines, mudflats, beaches, flooded fields and wet meadows.
- Diet
- Invertebrates probed or picked from mud, sand and shallow water.
- Range
- Recorded on 365 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 29 states, most concentrated in the Great Basin.
- Family
- Recurvirostridae · Shorebirds
Notable Black-necked Stilt Trends
Black-necked Stilt has risen sharply in surveyed states: up 51% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Black-necked Stilt Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Black-necked Stilt is projected to rise about 89% by 2029 — from 0.14 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.27 (95% range 0.00–0.58). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±115%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.27 | 0.00 | 0.58 |
| 2026 | 0.27 | 0.00 | 0.58 |
| 2027 | 0.27 | 0.00 | 0.58 |
| 2028 | 0.27 | 0.00 | 0.58 |
| 2029 | 0.27 | 0.00 | 0.58 |
Where the Black-necked Stilt Is Detected
BBS routes recording Black-necked Stilt, sized by most recent count.
Black-necked Stilt Population Trend by State
| Alabama | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Arizona | +6% | 1982 | 11 |
| Arkansas | +710% | 1994 | 12 |
| California | -87% | 1970 | 62 |
| Colorado | -9% | 1998 | 9 |
| Delaware | +9% | 1998 | 3 |
| Florida | -87% | 1968 | 54 |
| Georgia | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Idaho | -34% | 1991 | 7 |
| Illinois | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Kansas | -37% | 1990 | 3 |
| Louisiana | +264% | 1969 | 37 |
| Maryland | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Mississippi | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Missouri | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Montana | insufficient data | n/a | 6 |
| Nebraska | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Nevada | +141% | 1972 | 13 |
| New Mexico | -5% | 2000 | 8 |
| North Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Oklahoma | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Oregon | -69% | 1982 | 15 |
| South Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| South Dakota | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Tennessee | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Texas | +308% | 1969 | 72 |
| Utah | -18% | 1987 | 18 |
| Washington | +301% | 1989 | 9 |
| Wyoming | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
Black-necked Stilt Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Great Basin | +36% | 1973 | 66 |
| Northern Rockies | +104% | 1997 | 6 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +20% | 2000 | 7 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | +462% | 1990 | 31 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | +10% | 1987 | 10 |
| Oaks and Prairies | +221% | 1995 | 6 |
| Mississippi Alluvial Valley | +596% | 1992 | 34 |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | +4% | 1979 | 9 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | -35% | 1998 | 4 |
| Peninsular Florida | -89% | 1968 | 51 |
| Coastal California | -98% | 1970 | 42 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -77% | 1973 | 20 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | +24% | 1995 | 10 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | +109% | 1970 | 14 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | +296% | 1969 | 42 |
Black-necked Stilt Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 51% since 1968. Many shorebirds have declined steeply, reflecting pressure on the coastal and wetland stopovers they depend on.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.