Black-necked Stilt Population Analysis
Black-necked Stilt has risen sharply: up 67% 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 375 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 31 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 67% 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 67% by 2030 — from 0.16 in 2025 to a central estimate of 0.27 (95% range 0.00–0.57). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±118.7%, 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
| TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology → | Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology → | Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology → | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Arizona | +6% | 1982 | 11 |
| Arkansas | +315% | 1994 | 12 |
| California | -74% | 1970 | 62 |
| Colorado | -26% | 1998 | 10 |
| Delaware | +14% | 1998 | 3 |
| Florida | -84% | 1968 | 56 |
| Georgia | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Idaho | -41% | 1991 | 7 |
| Illinois | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Kansas | -37% | 1990 | 3 |
| Kentucky | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Louisiana | +271% | 1969 | 37 |
| Maryland | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Mississippi | +47% | 2008 | 4 |
| Missouri | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Montana | insufficient data | n/a | 6 |
| Nebraska | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Nevada | -25% | 1972 | 14 |
| New Mexico | +60% | 2000 | 8 |
| North Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| North Dakota | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Oklahoma | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Oregon | -63% | 1982 | 15 |
| South Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| South Dakota | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Tennessee | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Texas | +270% | 1969 | 74 |
| Utah | +25% | 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.
Black-necked Stilt Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 67% 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 2026-08-14. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.