White-headed Stilt
White-headed StiltWhite-headed StiltWhite-headed StiltWhite-headed Stilt

White-headed Stilt

Himantopus leucocephalus

5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Kakadu National Park
122 Verified records at Kakadu National Park
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The pied stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus), also known as the white-headed stilt, is a shorebird in the family Recurvirostridae. It is widely distributed with a large total population size and apparently stable population trend, occurring in Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines, Brunei, Christmas Island, Indonesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the black-winged stilt (H. himantopus). Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a White-headed Stilt sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 122 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Kakadu National Park

Comb-crested Jacana
LC

Comb-crested Jacana

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Irediparra gallinacea

50–60% · Likely
Masked Lapwing
LC

Masked Lapwing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vanellus miles

40–50% · Likely
Whiskered Tern
LC

Whiskered Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chlidonias hybrida

20–30% · Possible
Bush Stone-curlew
LC Endemic

Bush Stone-curlew

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Burhinus grallarius

10–20% · With luck
Australian Pratincole
LC

Australian Pratincole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Stiltia isabella

10–20% · With luck
Common Sandpiper
LC

Common Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Actitis hypoleucos

5–10% · Rare
Red-kneed Dotterel
LC

Red-kneed Dotterel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Erythrogonys cinctus

<5% · Rare
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
VU

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris acuminata

<5% · Rare
Marsh Sandpiper
LC

Marsh Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa stagnatilis

<5% · Rare
Common Greenshank
LC

Common Greenshank

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa nebularia

<5% · Rare
Chestnut-backed Buttonquail
LC Endemic

Chestnut-backed Buttonquail

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Turnix castanotus

<5% · Rare
Little Curlew
LC

Little Curlew

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Numenius minutus

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

5–10
Jan
5–10
Feb
<5
Mar
5–10
Apr
10–20
May
20–30
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
5–10
Sep
10–20
Oct
30–40
Nov
5–10
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
2 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
20–30%
3 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
4 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
5 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
6 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
7 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
5–10%
8 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
9 Tongariro National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
<5%
10 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
11 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
12 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
13 Arthur's Pass National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
14 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
15 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
16 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a White-headed Stilt in Kakadu National Park?

About 9% of wildlife watchers report a White-headed Stilt sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 122 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see White-headed Stilt in Kakadu National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for White-headed Stilt in Kakadu National Park in our monthly data.

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