“Quick—count the shorebird legs!” urges the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in a social-media post sharing an enigmatic video. The footage shows a black-necked stilt with way too legs. In fact, the shorebird is hiding something (or maybe a few somethings).
“Like many shorebirds, black-necked stilt chicks will hide under their parents for warmth and protection,” USFWS added in its post. “This long-legged reveal was captured at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Oregon. Malheur is a sanctuary to almost 350 bird species and a vital stop for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway.”
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The adorable video shows the black-necked stilt squatting while hiding its babies. It then stands up, revealing the full length of its rosy-pink legs and (surprise!) three fluffy stilt chicks. The chicks don’t have long legs quite yet, and they have black, white, and brown feathers as opposed to the adult’s black and white pattern.
These birds live in coastal wetlands throughout the western and southern United States, as well as Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.
See the shorebird with “too many legs” here:
Header stock image of black-necked stilt by Mark Newman/Getty Images