They spend much of their life on the coast in river estuaries and on tidal flats, but they breed in the desert when the water conditions are suitable. They lay 3-4 white, brown or black eggs in nests scraped in the sand. Banded Stilts breed on islands created when dry salt lakes fill with water during a flood. They come to the lakes to eat the brine shrimp, "Paratemia". The eggs of the shrimp can lie in the dry lake beds for many years until the rains fall.