Black-winged stilt Himantopus humantopus breeding in an industrial plant: long-term trend (2009-2024) following progressive burial of settling water basins

This note presents multi-year trends in the nesting of the Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) within an industrial area, where the size of sedimentation basins (water collection tanks) suitable for breeding has changed due to progressive silting. Over time, we observed a gradual decline in the number of breeding pairs, with adults and chicks increasingly concentrated in the remaining available sites, resulting in a slight increase in nesting density, a possible “crowding effect”. Although water basins in industrial areas may offer certain advantages, such as stable water levels and reduced pressure from terrestrial predators and human disturbance, these benefits should be evaluated within a broader context that also considers the potential long-term costs of nesting in artificial habitats, including the accumulation of toxic substances in the birds’ tissues.