Black-necked Stilt Photos

Photography by Terry Sohl

My Favorite: Not a species I've seen in South Dakota except on a couple of rare occasions, but one that I've seen in multiple places in the western U.S. On one work trip to Salt Lake City, I took an extra vacation day on my own and went birding in the area, including around Antelope Island and on the Bear River Bird Refuge. I came across quite a few Black-necked Stilts in both locations, including little families with young on the Bear River Bird Refuge.

But my favorite photo has to be from one of those rare South Dakota sightings. I particularly like this one because I was able to capture a Black-necked Stilt in flight. This is from an encounter in Minnehaha County, South Dakota on April 23rd, 2015, when I found a lone bird stalking the shallows. It was good to get not only many photos of it foraging in the water, but of it in flight as it left the area.

Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus


Black-necked Stilt 1 June 24th, 2005 Chincoteague, Virginia	Black-necked Stilt 2 June 27th, 2009 Bear River Bird Refuge, Utah	Black-necked Stilt 3 June 24th, 2005 Chincoteague, Virginia	Black-necked Stilt 4 (Young) June 27th, 2009 Bear River Bird Refuge, Utah

Black-necked Stilt 5 (Young) June 27th, 2009 Bear River Bird Refuge, Utah	Black-necked Stilt 6 June 27th, 2009 Antelope Island, Great Salt Lake, Utah	Black-necked Stilt 7 June 27th, 2009 Antelope Island, Great Salt Lake, Utah	Black-necked Stilt 8 (Young) June 27th, 2009 Bear River Bird Refuge, Utah

Black-necked Stilt 9 (Young) June 27th, 2009 Bear River Bird Refuge, Utah	Black-necked Stilt 10 (Young) June 27th, 2009 Bear River Bird Refuge, Utah	Black-necked Stilt 11 December 7th, 2010 Gilbert Water Ranch, Phoenix, Arizona	Black-necked Stilt 12 April 23rd, 2015 Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Black-necked Stilt 13 April 23rd, 2015 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Black-necked Stilt 14 April 23rd, 2015 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Black-necked Stilt 15 April 23rd, 2015 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Black-necked Stilt 16 April 23rd, 2015 Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Black-necked Stilt 17 December 28th, 2018 Gilbert Water Ranch, Phoenix, Arizona	Black-necked Stilt 18 December 28th, 2018 Gilbert Water Ranch, Phoenix, Arizona	Black-necked Stilt 19 (with American Avocets) December 28th, 2018 Gilbert Water Ranch, Phoenix, Arizona