Pied Stilt

1. Long, bright pink legs and straight black bill

2. Bold black-and-white plumage, with white head and underparts and black back and wings

3. Red eyes with black pupils

Pied Stilts are gregarious and feed by probing mud or shallow water for aquatic insects, small molluscs, crustaceans, and worms. They use a variety of foraging techniques, including pecking, snatching, and probing. Breeding occurs mainly from August to December in southern Australia, often in small colonies. Nests are simple scrapes on the ground near water, sometimes lined with vegetation. Females lay 3–4 eggs per clutch, and both parents share incubation for about 25 days. Chicks leave the nest within hours of hatching and are cared for by both parents until they can fly, usually after about a month.

Pied Stilts are found in shallow freshwater and saltwater wetlands throughout Australia, except for the driest parts of the interior. They inhabit marshes, lake edges, coastal lagoons, saltworks, sewage ponds, and flooded paddocks. After breeding, many move to coastal estuaries and mudflats. They are often seen feeding in groups, especially in the early morning and late afternoon`.`