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 TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
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.
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
Black-necked Stilt Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
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.