This species is rather scarce along the shores of the Carolinas; nor is it abundant in any part of the United States, and is seldom seen to the eastward beyond Long Island. Its food consists of insects, small crustacea, worms, and young fry of fishes. I have frequently observed them running after flies, and attempting to seize the smaller Libellulæ. When wounded so as to fall on the water, they are unable to dive, but on reaching the shore they run nimbly off and hide themselves.
I feel confident that in spring the males migrate apart from the females, but in autumn in company with them. The flesh of this species is not decidedly good or bad, being of ordinary quality. The males are larger than the females, and individuals of both sexes vary considerably in size.
Long-legged Avoset, Recurvirostra Himantopus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 48, pl. 55, fig. 1.
Himantopus nigricollis, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 322.
Black-necked Stilt, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 8.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXVIII.
Bill about twice as long as the head, very slender, roundish, tapering, slightly recurved. Upper mandible with its outline very slightly curved upwards, at the tip declinate; the ridge convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip narrow and rather acute. Nasal groove nearly half the length of the bill; nostrils linear, direct, sub-basal, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the sides grooved as far as the angle, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip narrow.
Head small, ovate, rounded above; neck very long and slender; body rather compact. Legs extremely elongated and slender; tibia bare for more than half its length, covered anteriorly with large curved scutella; tarsus very long, moderately compressed, scutellate before, reticulate on the sides; toes of moderate length, slender; hind toe wanting, outer a little longer than inner, and connected with the middle toe by a web extending nearly to the second joint; the inner toe also connected with the middle by a very short web. Claws small, nearly straight, moderately compressed.
Plumage ordinary, the feathers ovate and rounded. Wings very long, of moderate breadth, acute, the first quill longest, the other primaries rapidly graduated. Tail short, even, of twelve feathers.
Bill black, iris bright carmine; feet lake-coloured, claws dusky. Forehead, a spot above the eye, another below it, fore part and sides of the neck, and all the other lower parts, pure white. Upper part of head, hind neck, and upper parts, bluish-black, glossed with green; tail white.