Black-winged Stilt

The Black-winged Stilt is widespread in western, southern and south-eastern Europe and parts of central Europe, but is most abundant in the Mediterranean and along the Black Sea. In Slovenia it is a rare, locally widespread breeder. In Slovenia, breeding was confirmed only after 1990, in the Sečovlje salt pans.

Until recently, it was considered an extremely rare breeder in Slovenia, having been recorded only in the Sečovlje salt pans and the Ormože lagoons. In 2004, a pair of these birds also nested for the first time in the Strunjan Salt Pans, where up to two pairs have nested more or less regularly since then. After the renovation in 2007, the Black-winged Stilt also nested for the first time in the NRŠZ, where the population subsequently increased, so that in 2014 there were already 35 breeding pairs. All nesting sites on the coast are only a few metres above sea level. The Sečovlje salt pans are the most important breeding site for the Black-winged Stilt in Slovenia. It nests here in salt fields or on small mounds overgrown by halophytes. It nests singly, but mostly in colonies, sometimes in company with Little and Common Terns, Kentish Plovers, Avocets or Common redshanks. It builds its nest on grass, halophytic rushes or mud, preferably near or on water. A total of 20 to 70 pairs nest in the Sečovlje salt pans, with an exceptional 77 pairs in 2010. Salt marshes are the most important habitat for the Semi-tivorous Saltwater Skua, with more than 93% of the Portuguese population nesting in salt marshes, for example. The literature indicates that where salt pans have been converted into aquaculture facilities, the breeding population has declined drastically. In Mediterranean salt marshes, the Black-winged Stilt is a true indicator of the proper management of the water regime and of traditional salt farming. In the Sečovlje salt pans, it nests on an area of 220 ha, with between 14 and 77 pairs in the period 2002-2016. This translates into a density of 0.6-3.5 pairs/10 ha, and the installation of artificial islands in the last few years has further increased the density.

*The Sečovlje Salt Pans is considered a qualifying species in favourable conservation status.