Black-Necked Stilts on Exhibit at Aquarium

Two baby Black-Necked Stilts hatched in late June in the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Shorebird Sanctuary exhibit. Gigi, their mother, has lived in this exhibit since it opened in 2002, but this year was the first that she laid eggs and hatched chicks. The two babies are on public view in the exhibit with their mother and father, George, who arrived to the Aquarium in 2015. Black-Necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) females lay dark-spotted, buff-colored eggs that are about 1.7 inches long. Both parents incubate the eggs for 22 to 26 days and then care for the chicks. The chicks’ eyes are open at birth, and they leave the nest about two hours after hatching. Their down is light brownish-gray with black spots.