American Avocet

Photo by mrcolin2u
San Elijo Lagoon, San Diego County, California, USA

Recurvirostra americana

Identification

Length 16-20" (41-51 cm)

• Large, long-legged
• Slender, upturned bill
• Upperparts and wings patterned in black and white
• Underparts white
• Head and neck rust-colored in summer, white in winter

Distribution

Breeds from interior Washington, Saskatchewan, and Minnesota south to Central Mexico. Winters on West Coast of USA north to California, on Gulf Coast, in Florida, southern Mexico, and Cuba. Rare but regular visitor on Atlantic Coast and the Great Lakes in fall. Irregular winter visitor to northern Central America.

Taxonomy

A monotypic species.

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  Photo by mw_aurora
  Photo taken: Rowley, MA

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  Photo by Ron Conley
  Photo taken: Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Huntington Beach, California, USA

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  Non-breeding plumage (Feb 01). Photo by Gary Clark Photo taken: Salton Sea, California, USA

Habitat

Freshwater marshes and shallow marshy lakes; breeds locally in salt or brackish marshes. Many move to the coasts in winter.

Behavior

Nesting

4 olive-buff eggs, spotted with brown and black, in a shallow depression sparsely lined with grass on a beach or mudflat. Often nests in loose colonies.

Vocalization

A loud repeated wheep.

External Links

Search for photos of American Avocet in the gallery