Recurvirostra avosetta
The Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, is an elegantly striking wader instantly recognizable by its slender, upward-curving black bill and bold black-and-white plumage. Averaging 42-45 cm (16.5-17.7 inches) in length with a wingspan of 70-80 cm (27.5-31.5 inches) and weighing 290-400 grams (10.2-14.1 ounces), its distinct markings include a white body, black cap extending down the nape, and prominent black stripes along the scapulars and wing primaries. These field marks make it unmistakabl...
Pied Avocets primarily inhabit shallow, brackish or saline wetlands, including estuaries, coastal lagoons, salt pans, and flooded pasturelands, typically at sea level to low elevations.
Their diet consists almost exclusively of aquatic invertebrates, such as insect larvae, small crustaceans, and annelid worms, which they catch by sweeping their bill through shallow water.
Pied Avocets are diurnal, spending their days actively foraging or resting in dense flocks on exposed mudflats, and roosting communally, often standing on one leg. Their iconic foraging strategy involves wading in shallow water, sweeping their unique upcurved bill from side to side just below the...
The Pied Avocet boasts a wide Old World distribution, breeding across temperate Europe and Central Asia, extending into Siberia, and parts of North Africa. Its breeding range includes much of Western Europe, particularly coastal areas of the UK, Netherlands, France, and Spain, eastward through Ce...
Least Concern
- The Pied Avocet's distinctive upcurved bill is perfectly adapted for 'scything' through shallow water, a unique foraging technique among birds. - Their legs are so long that they are sometimes called 'stilt-legged' birds, making them excellent waders in their preferred shallow habitats. - Avoce...