The Black-winged Stilt is one of India’s commonest waders and one of the few wader species that breeds widely in the country. It breeds across the tropical and warm temperate zones of the world from the southern USA and South America, through Africa and southern Europe and across Asia to Australia and New Zealand although with numerous distinct sub-species. In eastern Asia (and indeed north eastern India) it is much scarcer but in our region there can hardly be an area of shallow water that does not support some birds at some time.

Apart from the large breeding population, even greater numbers arrive from Central Asia in August and depart in April. Although large, scattered and noisy colonies occur, odd pairs will build their banked-up nests almost anywhere in suitable habitat during an extended breeding season from March to October. Even beds of floating vegetation may be utlised. Like Red-wattled Lapwings, stilts are brave and vociferous defenders of both nests and young and this probably accounts for their considerable breeding success