White-Headed Stilt

The pied stilt, also known as the white-headed stilt, is a shorebird in the avocet and stilt family. Himantopus leucocephalus was the scientific name proposed by John Gould in 1837 who described a pied stilt from Australia. The pied stilt grows to a length of about 14 in (36 cm) with a wingspan of about 26.5 in (67 cm). The back of the head and neck, the back and the upper surfaces of the wings are glossy greenish-black. (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is widely distributed, recorded in Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines, Brunei, Christmas Island, Indonesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand (Wikipedia, general species account). The bird is a vagrant to Japan and Christmas Island. Its habitat is in wetlands and estuaries. It prepares a nest in a shallow depression or in a scrape in the ground where it usually lays four, ovoido-conical eggs. The nest is difficult to find as the eggs are well-camouflaged. (Wikipedia, general species account).