Elegant shorebird with exceptionally long, bright pink legs. Distinctive black-and-white plumage and thin black bill. Male is glossier black above, female is slightly browner. Some variation across range: darker neck in Hawaii; whiter crown and more extensive white collar in southern South America. Widespread and fairly common throughout the Americas, although rare or absent from much of the eastern U.S. Usually seen in pairs or small flocks, foraging in shallow ponds or marshes.