The black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is a strikingly elegant wading bird with extremely long, pink legs and a distinctive black and white plumage. It is a migratory species that breeds in Europe during the summer months before heading to Africa for the winter. In the UK, the black-winged stilt has historically been considered a rare visitor, with only occasional sightings recorded over the years. However, in recent decades, it has started to be observed more frequently in certain parts of the country during the breeding season. This has raised the question of whether black-winged stilts are now establishing themselves as a regular breeding species in the UK, or whether sightings still represent rare vagrants outside their normal range. This article will examine the current status of black-winged stilts in the UK, their historical rarity, and factors that may be contributing to more frequent sightings.
The black-winged stilt
The black-winged stilt is a migratory wading bird that breeds across parts of southern Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia. It winters mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Australia. Adult birds reach lengths of 33–36 cm and have extremely long pink legs that make up around 60% of their overall height. True to their name, black-winged stilts have predominantly black plumage on the wings, back, tail, and cap. The body, neck, eyebrow, and lower belly are white. The long, thin black bill is used for feeding on aquatic invertebrates in shallow water and mud.
Outside the breeding season, black-winged stilts gather in flocks of varying sizes. During breeding, they nest on the ground near water in small colonies, laying 3-4 eggs in a scrape lined with vegetation. Chicks hatch after around 25 days and are able to feed themselves shortly after hatching, although they continue to be brooded and guarded by the parents.
Historic rarity in the UK
Black-winged stilts have never been considered a regular breeding bird in the UK. Before the 20th century, the species was an extremely rare visitor, with only a handful of records. Sightings increased slightly in the early 1900s, but breeding remained unusual. For example, in 1907 a pair bred in Scotland but abandoned the nest. In the 1960s, there were several breeding attempts on The Wash, but these were presumed to involve vagrant birds outside their normal range rather than an established population.
Between 1950 and 1990, there were typically only 1-5 sightings of black-winged stilts in the UK each year, almost all during spring/summer when vagrants might be spotted en route to breeding grounds elsewhere in Europe. A summary of records by the British Birds Rarities Committee shows just how rare breeding attempts were:
| Decade | Number of accepted breeding records |
|---|---|
| 1900-1909 | 0 |
| 1910-1919 | 0 |
| 1920-1929 | 1 |
| 1930-1939 | 0 |
| 1940-1949 | 0 |
| 1950-1959 | 1 |
| 1960-1969 | 2 |
| 1970-1979 | 1 |
| 1980-1989 | 3 |
As these records show, black-winged stilts were considered an extremely rare and irregular breeder in the UK prior to 1990, with just 8 accepted breeding attempts over the entire 20th century up to that point. Sightings almost certainly related to vagrant birds from continental Europe, rather than an established UK population.
Recent trends
Since 1990, sightings of black-winged stilts in the UK have increased markedly. In the 1990s, reports increased to 10-30 sightings annually, peaking at 50 in 1999. Crucially, an increasing number were during the summer breeding season and involved adult birds in suitable breeding habitat, rather than just spring/autumn migrants.
This upward trend continued into the 2000s and 2010s. There are now typically 50-150 sightings annually, a large proportion again between April-August when breeding occurs. Actual confirmed breeding attempts have also risen significantly:
| Decade | Number of accepted breeding records |
|---|---|
| 1990-1999 | 18 |
| 2000-2009 | 41 |
| 2010-present | 72 |
Whereas black-winged stilts bred just 8 times in the entire 20th century, there have been over 130 confirmed breeding attempts since 1990. The species now breeds annually in southeast England at a handful of sites, particularly in Norfolk and Suffolk. There have also been occasional breeding records in northwest England, plus single attempts in Wales and Scotland.
The graph below summarizes the increase in UK breeding records over recent decades:
What is causing the increase?
Several factors may be contributing to the increased sightings and breeding records of black-winged stilts in the UK:
Population growth in Europe
The breeding population and range of black-winged stilts in Europe has expanded significantly in recent decades. Population increases have been reported in countries like France, Spain and the Netherlands. This growing European population provides a larger source of potential vagrant birds to the UK.
Habitat availability
Black-winged stilts require shallow freshwater pools and wetlands with muddy margins to breed successfully. Habitat creation schemes in parts of eastern England have produced suitable nesting conditions, allowing the species to establish regular breeding colonies.
Climate change
Warmer temperatures may be encouraging black-winged stilts to expand their breeding range northwards into the UK. Hotter, drier summers could also be creating favorable nesting habitat of exposed mudflats.
Increasing observer numbers
The growth in birdwatching numbers across the UK means more observers are now potentially detecting rare birds like black-winged stilts compared to previous decades. However, the consistent annual breeding records now suggest the species is established rather than just being stumbled upon by chance.
Legal protection
Black-winged stilts first bred in the UK in 1947, 1948 and 1962 but these attempts failed, possibly due to egg collecting or disturbance. Legal protection since the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act may have helped the species gain a foothold without human interference.
Current breeding distribution
Reports of black-winged stilts have occurred across much of England and Wales in recent years. However, regular breeding is still highly localized, focused on just a handful of sites:
Norfolk
The epicenter of breeding black-winged stilts in the UK is Norfolk. Between 5-15 pairs breed annually at favored sites with shallow wetlands, such as RSPB reserves at Lakenheath Fen, Titchwell Marsh and Cley Marshes. Breeding was first proven in Norfolk in 1995 and numbers have gradually increased.
Suffolk
In Suffolk, small numbers breed sporadically at sites like RSPB Minsmere, often just 1-2 pairs. Suffolk records remain lower than in neighboring Norfolk.
Northwest England
There have been occasional breeding records in northwest England, but no regular population has become established. Sites include RSPB Leighton Moss in Lancashire.
Elsewhere
Breeding has been confirmed just once in Scotland, at Aberlady Bay, East Lothian in 2019. Single successful breeding attempts have also occurred in Wales (Malltraeth Marsh, Anglesey in 2018) and Kent (Elmley Marshes in 1995).
So in summary, Norfolk remains the English stronghold for breeding black-winged stilts, with a small secondary population in Suffolk. The species breeds only sporadically elsewhere in the UK at present.
Population estimate
Given the localized nature of breeding, estimating the total UK population of black-winged stilts is relatively straightforward:
Norfolk: 5-15 breeding pairs annually = 10-30 adult birds
Suffolk: 1-5 breeding pairs annually = 2-10 adult birds
Elsewhere: 0-5 breeding pairs annually = 0-10 adult birds
Total UK population estimate = 12-50 adult birds
So in a typical year, the British black-winged stilt population is likely to number just a few dozen individuals. Despite the marked increase since the 1990s, the UK population remains tiny in the context of an estimated 19,000-44,000 pairs across Europe as a whole.
Legal protection
Black-winged stilts are included on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This makes it illegal to intentionally kill, injure or take a black-winged stilt, or take, damage or destroy its nest, eggs or young. This legal protection applies anywhere the birds are found in the UK.
As a Schedule 1 species, black-winged stilts are also included as a rare breeding bird in the UK on the ‘Amber List’ of Birds of Conservation Concern. Amber List birds are those with an unfavorable conservation status in Europe.
Future prospects
The increase in sightings and breeding of black-winged stilts in parts of England since the 1990s is likely to continue. Further colonization of suitable habitat in East Anglia seems probable. However, significant range expansion across the UK is unlikely without a run of very hot, dry summers. Isolated breeding attempts may occur elsewhere but the core population will remain localized.
Continued legal protection and appropriate habitat management are important to support the small but growing British population. In particular, maintaining areas of shallow wetland with muddy margins and islands for nesting will aid breeding success. If conditions allow, numbers could potentially reach 100-200 pairs nationally over the next couple of decades. But the black-winged stilt is likely to remain a rare and extremely localized breeding species in the UK.
Conclusion
In summary:
- The black-winged stilt has historically been an extremely rare visitor to the UK, with just a handful of breeding attempts recorded prior to 1990.
- From the 1990s onwards, sightings and confirmed breeding records have increased markedly, especially in Norfolk and Suffolk.
- A growing European population, climate change, habitat creation and legal protection may all be contributing factors.
- The UK population is still tiny, numbering just 12-50 adults concentrated at a few sites in East Anglia.
- Provided suitable habitat exists, black-winged stilts may continue to increase in East England but significant range expansion across the UK is unlikely.
So in answer to the original question – black-winged stilts remain rare in the UK, but thanks to a striking recent increase, they are certainly far less rare than they were just 30 years ago. Their status continues to be one of the country’s most fascinating ornithological developments to watch.
