Update on 23 July 2024: When entering this bird into eBird, I discovered that the bird has been renamed from Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) to Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus).

This Black-winged Stilt marked another first for me on the guided bird walk that I did last weekend. It was in the area around Newington Armory – formerly the Royal Australian Navy Armaments Depot – at Sydney Olympic Park.

Stilts are waders, with long thin legs and a beak made for poking into muddy pool bottoms. I saw a stilt flying overhead too, with its legs trailing out behind it.

The next photo shows a rather comical view of the bird and its reflection. It’s hard to tell where the real beak and legs end and the reflection begins:

The guided bird walk is offered by the BirdLife Discovery Centre on the last Sunday of every month. It’s fun and a good way to get out, meet some people, and see some birds.

Here’s a zoomed-out view of the stilt and the surrounding water. We’ve had a lot of rain recently, which means that the water covers more ground than usual. It’s a pretty site, with the typical Australian vegetation and the reflections:

Common name: Black-winged Stilt — now Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus)
Scientific name: Himantopus himantopus
Approximate length: 33-37 cm
Date spotted: 28 August 2022 (winter)
Location: Sydney Olympic Park, Newington, New South Wales, Australia: 33°49’29.5″S 151°03’57.0″E