Black-necked Stilt

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Black-necked Stilt in Elk Island National Park?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-necked Stilt sighting in Elk Island National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 157th most-seen of the 161 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Black-necked Stilt in Elk Island National Park?

Any time of year. In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-necked Stilt in Elk Island National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Black-necked Stilt?

Between 8 and 11 am. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-necked Stilt sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Elk Island National Park the best place to see a Black-necked Stilt?

40th of 50. Of the 50 parks where we can rate Black-necked Stilt sightings, Elk Island National Park ranks 40th at under 5%. The best odds are in Celestún Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 50%), Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%) and Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 30%). All parks ranked.

Q: Where does the Black-necked Stilt sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Black-necked Stilt is recorded against all the birds logged in Elk Island National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Himantopus mexicanus

Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
FamilyRecurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)
GenusHimantopus (Typical Stilts)
SpeciesHimantopus mexicanus (Black-necked Stilt)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Elk Island National Park

In 3 days <5%

6 Verified sightings at Elk Island National Park From 2019 to 2026

12,129 In all 50 parks

April Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Black-necked Stilt

The black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), also called the pied stilt, is a locally abundant shorebird of North and South American wetlands and coastlines. It is found from the coastal areas of California through much of the interior western United States and along the Gulf of Mexico as far east as Florida, then south through Central America and the Caribbean to Brazil, Peru and the Galápagos Islands, with an isolated population, the Hawaiian stilt, in Hawaii. The northernmost populations, particularly those from inland, are migratory, wintering from the extreme south of the United States to southern Mexico, rarely as far south as Costa Rica; on the Baja California peninsula it is only found regularly in winter. Some authorities, including the IUCN, treat it as a synonym of Himantopus himantopus.

The black-necked stilt was formally described in 1776 as Charadrius mexicanus by the German zoologist Philipp Statius Müller. The species is now placed in the genus Himantopus that was introduced in 1760 by the French ornithologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson.

Three subspecies are recognised: Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call1:01

French Guiana · 2024

Alarm call0:41

Costa Rica · 2013

Song0:21

Uruguay · 2013

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 55 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
2	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
3	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
4	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~30%
5	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~20%
6	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
7	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~20%
8	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
9	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
10	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
11	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~20%
12	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
13	Padre Island National Seashore	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
14	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
15	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
16	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
17	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
18	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
19	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~10%
20	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
21	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
22	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
23	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
24	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
25	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
26	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
27	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
28	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
29	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
30	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
31	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
32	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
33	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
34	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
35	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
36	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
37	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
38	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
39	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
40	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
41	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
42	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
43	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
44	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
45	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
46	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
47	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
48	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
49	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
50	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Ciudad Juárez	🇲🇽 México	~60%
2	Mesa	🇺🇸 United States	~50%
3	León	🇲🇽 México	~40%
4	Cochabamba	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~40%
5	Rosario	🇦🇷 Argentina	~20%
6	Panama City	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
7	Barranquilla	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
8	Lima	🇵🇪 Peru	~20%
9	San Luis Potosí	🇲🇽 México	~20%
10	San Francisco	🇺🇸 United States	~20%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Busch Gardens Tampa	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	Moscow Zoo	🇷🇺 Russia	In captivity
3	National Zoological Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
4	ZooParc de Beauval	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
5	Planckendael Zoo	🇧🇪 Belgium	In captivity
6	Le Pal	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
7	Ostrava Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
8	Minnesota Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
9	Ecological Center of Sonora	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
10	Milwaukee County Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
11	Phoenix Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
12	Louisville Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
13	Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
14	Berlin Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
15	Paignton Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
16	Temaikén	🇦🇷 Argentina	In captivity
17	ZooTampa	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
18	Fort Worth Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
19	Houston Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
20	Karlsruhe Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
21	San Antonio Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
22	Cameron Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
23	Philadelphia Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
24	Fresno Chaffee Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
25	Honolulu Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
26	London Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
27	Ueno Zoo	🇯🇵 Japan	In captivity
28	Riverbanks Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
29	Tier- und Freizeitpark Thüle	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
30	Lincoln Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
31	Zamość Zoo	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity
32	Vogelpark Avifauna	🇳🇱 Netherlands	In captivity
33	Aviario Nacional de Colombia	🇨🇴 Colombia	In captivity
34	Odense Zoo	🇩🇰 Denmark	In captivity
35	Kakegawa Kachoen	🇯🇵 Japan	In captivity
36	Tierpark Hexentanzplatz	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
37	Ueno Zoological Gardens (West Garden)	🇯🇵 Japan	In captivity
38	Happy Hollow Park & Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
39	Bois de la Bâtie	🇨🇭 Switzerland	In captivity
40	New York Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
41	Chilean National Zoo	🇨🇱 Chile	In captivity
42	Kobe Animal Kingdom	🇯🇵 Japan	In captivity
43	Tierpark Limbach-Oberfrohna	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
44	Tracy Aviary	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
45	Amazon World Zoo Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
46	Aquarium of the Pacific	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
47	Florida Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
48	Monterey Bay Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
49	National Aviary	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
50	Aquarium Berlin	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity

Show all 50 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Elk Island National Park

Recurvirostra americana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Leucophaeus pipixcan

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Larus delawarensis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Gallinago delicata

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Chlidonias niger

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Actitis macularius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Tringa solitaria

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Tringa flavipes

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Sterna forsteri

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Charadrius vociferus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Tringa melanoleuca

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black-necked Stilt in Elk Island National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-necked Stilt sighting in Elk Island National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 157th most-seen of the 161 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black-necked Stilt in Elk Island National Park?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-necked Stilt in Elk Island National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Black-necked Stilt?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-necked Stilt sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Elk Island National Park the best place to see a Black-necked Stilt?

40th of 50

Of the 50 parks where we can rate Black-necked Stilt sightings, Elk Island National Park ranks 40th at under 5%. The best odds are in Celestún Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 50%), Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%) and Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 30%). All parks ranked.

Where does the Black-necked Stilt sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black-necked Stilt is recorded against all the birds logged in Elk Island National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Elk Island National Park

Black-necked Stilt

About the Black-necked Stilt

Sounds

Recent sightings of Black-necked Stilt in Elk Island National Park

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Elk Island National Park

American Avocet

Franklin's Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Wilson's Snipe

Black Tern

Spotted Sandpiper

Bonaparte's Gull

Solitary Sandpiper

Lesser Yellowlegs

Forster's Tern

Killdeer

Greater Yellowlegs

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black-necked Stilt in Elk Island National Park?

When is the best time to see a Black-necked Stilt in Elk Island National Park?

What time of day is best to see a Black-necked Stilt?

Is Elk Island National Park the best place to see a Black-necked Stilt?

Where does the Black-necked Stilt sighting chance come from?