Pied Stilt

Himantopus leucocephalus

The Pied Stilt is a slender black-and-white wader with very long pink legs and a fine, straight black bill. It is often seen walking gracefully through shallow water, picking at tiny aquatic creatures near the surface.

Features: Long pink legs, white body, black wings and back, black cap or hindneck, and a thin black bill.
Habitat: Shallow wetlands, saltmarshes, mudflats, lakes, lagoons, sewage ponds and coastal estuaries.
Location: Found across much of Australia, especially around wetlands and coastal shallows.
Behaviour: Feeds by wading through shallow water, often in small groups, using its bill to pick insects, larvae and other small aquatic prey.
Diet: Aquatic insects, larvae, small crustaceans, molluscs and other tiny invertebrates.

Interesting fact:
Pied Stilts have some of the longest legs in proportion to body size of any Australian shorebird, allowing them to feed in deeper shallow water than many other small waders.