Priorities for Future Research

There are two major challenges to understanding the life histories of Black-necked Stilts. The first is their extreme mobility. Preliminary observations from banding studies suggest little site fidelity and distances of hundreds of kilometers between breeding sites. This has made it difficult to make even preliminary estimates of demographic parameters using banding data alone. In general, radio telemetry would be considered the field solution to this problem. However, banding data also suggest that the birds are sensitive to handling, and impacts of applying radio transmitters on stilt behavior might make it difficult to separate researcher-induced and natural behaviors. All studies of breeding Black-necked Stilts must keep a watchful eye on inadvertent researcher impacts.

Current demographic data reflects other data collection biases. For example, most of the studies of larger numbers of stilts have been done at concentrated breeding areas, especially salt ponds and managed wetlands. However, such areas are probably not representative of “typical” breeding conditions. Many of the Black-necked Stilts in North America are breeding in lower densities at inaccessible coastal wetlands and small freshwater wetlands. To what extent does the social behavior and breeding biology differ for “dispersed” stilts? On a broader scale, possible range expansions and the mechanisms behind such movements are an important topic for study.

For Hawaiian Stilts, the most important demographic statistic that is unknown is adult survival data. Preliminary modeling (Reed et al. 1998) indicates that population growth patterns are most sensitive to adult survival rates; no data exist on this parameter. The most important management needs are developing effective predator control and efficient vegetation control. Experimental manipulation of different nest opportunities, using water level management and pond contouring (Engilis and Reid 1995), is important for testing the value of management efforts

Last but not least, the extensive treatment required here to discuss the taxonomic status of the entire genus Himantopus (see Systematics, above) illustrates the need for a detailed and worldwide systematic treatment.