Stilts are waders in the same bird family as the avocets. They are found in brackish or saline wetlands in warm or hot climates.
They have extremely long legs and long thin bills. Stilts typically feed on aquatic insects and other small creatures and nest on the ground surface in loose colonies. The only species in the genera Himantopus in the area covered in this guide is the Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus.
