{"id":59137,"date":"2019-07-21T04:59:31","date_gmt":"2019-07-21T10:59:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=59137"},"modified":"2024-02-22T03:31:30","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T10:31:30","slug":"female-and-male-black-necked-stilts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/07\/21\/female-and-male-black-necked-stilts\/","title":{"rendered":"Female And Male Black-necked Stilts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"RestingResting female Black-necked Stilt – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

These two Black-necked Stilt photos were taken 9 days ago at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a> and I thought they could easily show the difference between the female and male of this species. First though, these stilts were not near each other and it is probably safe to presume they were not a mated pair.<\/p>\n

The photo above shows a female Black-necked Stilt resting in the shallow waters of the marsh near the auto tour route. So how do I know that this is an adult female?<\/p>\n

I know that she is a female by the dark brown feathers she shows on her back.<\/p>\n

(Full disclosure – I did remove some out of focus midges in this photo during post processing)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Black-necked Stilt calling near his chick – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Adult males do not have brown feathers on their backs, they have jet black feathers on their backs without a trace of brown. It is as simple as that.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Black-necked Stilt photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These two Black-necked Stilt photos were taken 9 days ago at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and I thought they could easily show the difference between the female and male of this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":121728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,27,1463,1148,26],"tags":[4004,1464,4072,4070,4370,4062,4094,4156,274,3950,3951,2315,3996,4095],"class_list":["post-59137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-black-necked-stilts","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-black-necked-stilt","tag-calling","tag-female","tag-himantopus-mexicanus","tag-male","tag-marsh","tag-resting","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-stilt","tag-stilts","tag-summer-3","tag-water","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/black-necked-stilt-adult-female-resting-mia-mcpherson-9068.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-fnP","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4886,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/04\/28\/black-necked-stilts\/","url_meta":{"origin":59137,"position":0},"title":"Black-necked Stilts","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 28, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Black-necked Stilts have returned from their wintering grounds to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and other locations in Utah. Black-necked Stilts are black and white shorebirds with long pink to reddish legs, thin black bills and lovely red eyes.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-necked Stilt in shallow water at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5249.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5249.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5249.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5249.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14553,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/03\/13\/a-black-necked-stilt-at-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":59137,"position":1},"title":"Black-necked Stilt at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 13, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In yesterday's post I mentioned that I have seen my first of the year American Avocets and not long after they arrive Black-necked Stilts will also be making their appearance too.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-necked Stilt male at Bear River MBR, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5277.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5277.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5277.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5277.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6235,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/10\/01\/adult-black-necked-stilt\/","url_meta":{"origin":59137,"position":2},"title":"Adult Black-necked Stilt","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Just a simple image of a male Black-necked Stilt taken earlier this year at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge. Very graceful birds.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Black-necked Stilt feeding at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/black-necked-stilt-feeding-mia-mcpherson-5272.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/black-necked-stilt-feeding-mia-mcpherson-5272.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/black-necked-stilt-feeding-mia-mcpherson-5272.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/black-necked-stilt-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-1373.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/black-necked-stilt-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-1373.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/black-necked-stilt-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-1373.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/black-necked-stilt-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-1373.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48013,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/08\/06\/male-black-necked-stilt-watching-over-his-offspring-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":59137,"position":4},"title":"Male Black-necked Stilt Watching Over His Offspring At Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 6, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Thousands upon thousands of Black-necked Stilts make the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah their home during their breeding season.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Black-necked Stilts in the marsh at Bear River MBR, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilts-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-0446.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilts-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-0446.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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