Ae'o Hawaiian Stilt Diet

The Ae'o, or Hawaiian Stilt lives in wetlands. They eat creatures and plants that live in or by the water. Ae'o eat small fish, crabs, worms, water plants, insects, and the larvae of dragonflies. Hawaiian Stilts hunt for their food in groups, or alone. They use their bill to find food. The Stilt also uses its bill to crack open crab shells so it can eat the meat inside.

The Ae'o or Hawaiian Stilt stays in the shallow water. They try not to get their breasts wet. In shallow waters, they use three different feeding methods, which are pecking, plunging, and snatching.

During the pecking method, they stand still in the water or walk slowly until their prey comes along. The Ae'o uses its bill to quickly jab and catch its food. In the plunging method, the Ae'o dips its head into the water to capture food. With their bill, Ae'o snatch or catch flying insects.