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A Surprising Trait in the Black-necked Stilt

Loye Miller

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One who has observed the Blacknecked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanua) in the field or who has considered its extreme specialization as a wader would scarcely suspect it of much ability as a diver, yet it has such ability to no little degree. While collecting at Nigger Slough, in the vicinity of Los Angeles, this spring, I brought down a male Stilt from a flock overhead. The bird, with the tip of one wing injured, came down into open water some eighteen inches in depth. It repeatedly tried to escape by diving. These efforts were watched with much interest, on my part, and a fairly good view of the performance was obtained. The wings were used in making progress but the position of the feet was not learned. The injured wing tip was an apparent handicap and the bird did not remain below very well. A distance of some four or five feet was the longest dive made. The adult bird must have practically no use for such an accomplishment in a state of nature. Is it a diver when in its infancy? Is this a juvenal character persisting in the adult but coming to the sufface only under unusual stress?

State Normal School, Los Angeles, California, May 9, 1918;

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