Black-winged Stilt; Cigüeñuela

A pair of chicks were paddling in front of a Common Tern on its nest but the straight black bills suggested Stilt and later one of the parents turned up. Many wader chicks look alike but the bill shape and colour often provide a clue. Unlike passerines which stay in the nest for the first week or longer most waders are able to move about on their own within a few hours of hatching at most, usually having spent longer in the safety of their egg since these birds rarely have nests.