What does the Black-winged Stilt eat?

The Black-winged Stilt's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Carnivore (primarily aquatic invertebrates)

How it forages

Forages by wading in shallow water, often up to its belly, using its long legs to reach deeper areas. It probes the mud or water with its sensitive bill, sweeping it from side to side or picking prey from the surface. Diet consists mainly of aquatic insects (larvae and adults), small crustaceans, mollusks, and occasionally small fish or tadpoles.

When it feeds

Diurnal, actively foraging during daylight hours.

Explore the Black-winged Stilt