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Step 1
Look for the Black-Necked Stilt in the far southern half of the United States, Mexico, South America and Central America during the winter. In the breeding season during the summer, you can find the Stilt living in the western and southern United States, Hawaii and parts of the Caribbean, Central America and South America. The Black-Necked Stilt prefers shallow bodies of water including rice fields, lagoons, wetlands, marshes and mangrove swamps.
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Step 2
Note the Black-Necked Stilt's size. This shorebird ranges in length from 14 to 15 inches, and it weighs between 4.8 and 7.8 oz. The wingspan on this bird averages from 25 to 28 inches.
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Step 3
Observe the distinctive appearance. This bird has striking long and thin red colored legs. You'll see a white throat and underparts and a black back, face and back of the neck. Their bills are long, black and thin and their wings are long, tapered and black. Black-Necked Stilts also have a distinctive white spot above their eyes and a white forehead.
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Step 4
Listen for a piercing "yip" sound. Black-Necked Stilts repeatedly make this sound when they have been disturbed. You can listen to this sound on the What Bird website (see Resources below).
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Step 5
Watch the bird in transit. Black-Necked Stilts are direct and fast flyers. They often swim or wade in shallow bodies of water.
