Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus himantopus
The Gambia - November 2018
When I first started my study of the avian world everything was clear, after all I was from the Western United States and Himantopus himantopus was that very obvious Stilt, the one than hung out with that very obvious Avocet. But when I ventured out into the broader world I discovered Himantopus himantopus and I did not think it looked anything like the Himantopus himantopus I knew. And there were different common names, common names which seemed to have some significance - Black-winged vs. Black-necked, for instance. Finally, my confusion began to be obliviated (AOU 5th Edition, 33rd Supplement) - well no, it wasn’t, it still reigns supreme (and I might note that confusion is not limited to me). In any case, these video framegrabs are from an individual recorded in The Gambia during November 2018. It is considered the nominate form of Himantopus himantopus, but I must confess that provides only some clarity to me - video link.
