The Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) is a locally abundant resident of American wetlands and coastlines, from the coastal areas of California, much of the interior western United States and along the Gulf of Mexico as far east as Florida, then south to Peru, northern Brazil and the Galapagos islands. Northern populations are migratory, wintering from the extreme south of the USA to southern Mexico, rarely as far south as Costa Rica

In the south of its range Black-necked Stilt intergrades with the South America form Himantopus (himantopus) melanurus.

Adults have long pink legs, a long thin black bill and are mainly white below with a black cap, neck and back.

The Black-necked Stilt is found in estuarine, lacustrine, salt pond and emergent wetland habitats over the range noted above. It is also found in seasonally ponded wetlands. In the US, use of salt evaporation ponds has increased significantly since 1960 and may now be the primary wintering habitat. In the Salton Sea locale, the Black-necked Stilt is resident year-round. The species also breeds along lake shores in northeastern California and southeastern Oregon as well as along the Colorado River.

This species rarely breed inland outside California, but is known as a breeding bird in riparian locales in Arizona. In Arizona, Black-necked Stilts may been seen along artificially-created lakes and drainage basins in the Phoenix metropolitan area, in remnant riparian habitat.