Pied stilt

Found in muddy shallows and along estuary edges at low tide.

Story

Pied stilts are thought to have reached New Zealand only in the early nineteenth century. Numbers grew mainly from about 1870 to 1940, and by the early 1990s there were about 30,000.

Behaviour

Stilts wade through shallow water and mud on very long pink legs, picking up insects and worms. They are sociable and shy, and usually fly off yapping when approached. They often rest on one leg.