Data Zone
Taxonomic note
Himantopus himantopus (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) was previously split as H. himantopus, H. leucocephalus and H. mexicanus and following AOU (1998) and SACC (2006). Prior to that, H. melanurus had been split from H. mexicanus following Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993).
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2014 | Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | 161 g |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 302,000,000 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 271,000,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Severely Fragmented | - |
| Value | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | estimated | 2012 | |
| Population trend | Increasing | suspected | - | |
| Decline (3 years/1 generation past) | - | - | - | |
| Decline (5 years/1 generation past) | - | - | - | |
| Decline (10 years/1 generation past) | - | - | - | |
| Decline (10 years/3 generation future) | - | - | - | |
| Decline (10 years/3 generation past and future) | - | - | - | |
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Percentage in largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 7.3 | - | - | - |
Population justification: The global population is estimated to number c.450,000-780,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2015). The European population is estimated at 53,900-75,700 pairs, which equates to 108,000-151,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015).
Trend justification: The overall population trend is unclear, some populations may be stable, increasing or have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2015). The European population is estimated to be stable (BirdLife International 2015).
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Presence | Resident | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Albania | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Algeria | N | Extant | ||||
| Angola | N | Extant | ||||
| Anguilla (to UK) | N | Extant | ||||
| Antigua and Barbuda | N | Extant | ||||
| Argentina | N | Extant | ||||
| Armenia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | N | Extant | ||||
| Australia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Austria | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Azerbaijan | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Bahamas | N | Extant | ||||
| Bahrain | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Bangladesh | N | Extant | ||||
| Barbados | N | Extant | ||||
| Belarus | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Belgium | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Belize | N | Extant | ||||
| Benin | N | Extant | ||||
| Bermuda (to UK) | N | Extant | ||||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | N | Extant | ||||
| Botswana | N | Extant | ||||
| Brazil | N | Extant | ||||
| Brunei | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Bulgaria | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Burkina Faso | N | Extant | ||||
| Burundi | N | Extant | ||||
| Cambodia | N | Extant | ||||
| Cameroon | N | Extant | ||||
| Canada | N | Extant | ||||
| Cape Verde | N | Extant | ||||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | N | Extant | ||||
| Central African Republic | N | Extant | ||||
| Chad | N | Extant | ||||
| Chile | N | Extant | ||||
| China (mainland) | N | Extant | ||||
| Christmas Island (to Australia) | V | Extant | ||||
| Colombia | N | Extant | ||||
| Congo | V | Extant | ||||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | N | Extant | ||||
| Costa Rica | N | Extant | ||||
| Côte d'Ivoire | N | Extant | ||||
| Croatia | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Cuba | N | Extant | ||||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Cyprus | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Czechia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Denmark | V | Extant | ||||
| Djibouti | N | Extant | ||||
| Dominica | N | Extant | ||||
| Dominican Republic | N | Extant | ||||
| Ecuador | N | Extant | ||||
| Egypt | N | Extant | ||||
| El Salvador | N | Extant | ||||
| Eritrea | N | Extant | ||||
| Estonia | V | Extant | ||||
| Eswatini | N | Extant | ||||
| Ethiopia | N | Extant | ||||
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | N | Extant | ||||
| Finland | V | Extant | ||||
| France | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| French Guiana | N | Extant | ||||
| Gabon | N | Extant | ||||
| Gambia | N | Extant | ||||
| Georgia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Germany | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Ghana | N | Extant | ||||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | V | Extant | ||||
| Greece | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Grenada | N | Extant | ||||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | N | Extant | ||||
| Guam (to USA) | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Guatemala | N | Extant | ||||
| Guinea | N | Extant | ||||
| Guinea-Bissau | N | Extant | ||||
| Guyana | N | Extant | ||||
| Haiti | N | Extant | ||||
| Honduras | N | Extant | ||||
| Hong Kong (China) | N | Extant | ||||
| Hungary | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Iceland | V | Extant | ||||
| India | N | Extant | ||||
| Indonesia | N | Extant | ||||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Iraq | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Ireland | V | Extant | ||||
| Israel | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Italy | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Jamaica | N | Extant | ||||
| Japan | N | Extant | ||||
| Jordan | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Kazakhstan | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Kenya | N | Extant | ||||
| Kuwait | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Kyrgyzstan | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Laos | N | Extant | ||||
| Lebanon | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Lesotho | N | Extant | ||||
| Liberia | N | Extant | ||||
| Libya | N | Extant | ||||
| Luxembourg | V | Extant | ||||
| Madagascar | N | Extant | ||||
| Malawi | N | Extant | ||||
| Malaysia | N | Extant | ||||
| Maldives | V | Extant | ||||
| Mali | N | Extant | ||||
| Malta | N | Extant | ||||
| Martinique (to France) | N | Extant | ||||
| Mauritania | N | Extant | ||||
| Mexico | N | Extant | ||||
| Micronesia, Federated States of | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Moldova | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Mongolia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Montenegro | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Montserrat (to UK) | N | Extant | ||||
| Morocco | N | Extant | ||||
| Mozambique | N | Extant | ||||
| Myanmar | N | Extant | ||||
| Namibia | N | Extant | ||||
| Nepal | N | Extant | ||||
| Netherlands | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| New Zealand | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Nicaragua | N | Extant | ||||
| Niger | N | Extant | ||||
| Nigeria | N | Extant | ||||
| North Korea | V | Extant | ||||
| North Macedonia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Norway | V | Extant | ||||
| Oman | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Pakistan | N | Extant | ||||
| Palau | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Palestine | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Panama | N | Extant | ||||
| Papua New Guinea | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Paraguay | N | Extant | ||||
| Peru | N | Extant | ||||
| Philippines | N | Extant | ||||
| Poland | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Portugal | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | N | Extant | ||||
| Qatar | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Romania | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Russia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Russia (Asian) | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Russia (Central Asian) | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Russia (European) | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Rwanda | N | Extant | ||||
| Saudi Arabia | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Senegal | N | Extant | ||||
| Serbia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Seychelles | V | Extant | ||||
| Sierra Leone | N | Extant | ||||
| Singapore | N | Extant | ||||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Slovakia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Slovenia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Somalia | N | Extant | ||||
| South Africa | N | Extant | ||||
| South Korea | N | Extant | ||||
| South Sudan | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Spain | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Sri Lanka | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| St Barthelemy (to France) | N | Extant | ||||
| St Kitts and Nevis | N | Extant | ||||
| St Lucia | N | Extant | ||||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | N | Extant | ||||
| Sudan | N | Extant | ||||
| Suriname | N | Extant | ||||
| Sweden | V | Extant | ||||
| Switzerland | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Syria | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Taiwan, China | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Tajikistan | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Tanzania | N | Extant | ||||
| Thailand | N | Extant | ||||
| Timor-Leste | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Togo | N | Extant | ||||
| Trinidad and Tobago | N | Extant | ||||
| Tunisia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Turkey | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Turkmenistan | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | N | Extant | ||||
| Uganda | N | Extant | ||||
| Ukraine | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Uruguay | N | Extant | ||||
| USA | N | Extant | ||||
| Uzbekistan | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Venezuela | N | Extant | ||||
| Vietnam | N | Extant | ||||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | N | Extant | ||||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | N | Extant | ||||
| Western Sahara | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Yemen | N | Extant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Zambia | N | Extant | ||||
| Zimbabwe | N | Extant |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land | suitable | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded | suitable | breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Freshwater Lakes | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Freshwater Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes and Flats | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes and Flats | suitable | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 4200 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food - human | - | - | Non-trivial | Recent | ||
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | - | - | International | Non-trivial | Recent | |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | - | - | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Species factsheet: Himantopus himantopus. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 24/03/2023.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2023) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 24/03/2023.
