Length: 13.8–15.3 inches; Weight: 5.3–6.2 ounces; Wingspan: 28.1–29.7 inches.
Black-necked Stilt
The black-necked stilt is a conspicuous bird because their black-and-white plumage and long, pink legs make them unmistakable and readily identifiable among shorebirds. They are white below and have black wings and backs. The black bill is long and thin. The long legs of the black-necked stilt are the second-longest legs among shorebirds. Only flamingos have longer legs in proportion to their bodies. They resemble the American avocets in appearance and belong to the same family. They can interbreed, but hybrids are rare.
A black-necked stilt flies over Havana Pond in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge on March 3, 2022. It is rare to see this bird at this time of year at this location in Colorado.
A male Audubon’s yellow-rumped warbler
A male myrtle yellow-rumped warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
The yellow-rumped warbler arrives in Denver in the spring. Two subspecies are seen: the Audubon’s and the myrtle. The major difference is the color of the throat. The Audubon’s has a yellow throat while the myrtle has a white throat. Both have conspicuous yellow patches on the crown, flank and rump.
The Audubon’s warbler inhabits the mountainous West while the myrtle warbler lives in the Eastern U.S. and Canada’s Boreal Forest.
Spring migration takes place from April to May; fall migration from September to November.
They are insectivorous and exhibit flycatcher-like behavior by darting from their perches in short loops to catch flying insects.
Length: 4.7–5.5 inches; Weight: 0.4–0.5 ounces; Wingspan: 7.5–9.1 inches
Bird Walks May 7 & June 4
Go to https://www.blufflake.org/birdwatching and join George Ho and other bird experts for a free guided walk around Bluff Lake. All are welcome. Bring your own binoculars, or use one of their pairs. 11255 MLK Blvd. Search FrontPorchNE.com for “Bird Sightings” to see all the past bird stories and photos from George Ho. This column is generously donated by George Ho each month.