Bird of the Week – Blackwinged stilt
No tribal name and in Afrikaans Rooipootelsie.
THE blackwinged stilt is a common resident throughout Southern Africa and most of the world, except South America.
The voice is a puppylike yapping ‘yip-yip-yip-yip’ and a shrill ‘chek-chek-chek’ alarm call.
LISTEN:
Its call is also given in flight, which is a somewhat flapping action with the long legs trailing out behind.
The stilts often form large flocks of up to 500 birds. They like shallow waters of estuaries, pans, dams, sewage ponds, vleis and marshes.
Foraging takes place by wading quickly with a high-stepping gait in shallow water, sweeping the bill over the surface and pecking at food. Favoured food are insects, crustaceans, molluscs, worms and seeds.
Breeding season is most months. They lay four yellowish, stone-coloured eggs in a scrape in the ground or mud. The nest is lined with twigs, grass and mud pellets.
Incubation is 24 to 27 days and fledglings remain for about 28 days.
There is no tribal name and in Afrikaans they are known as rooipootelsie.
