• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Difference between revisions of "American Avocet" - BirdForum Opus

(Picture positions moved)
(→‎External Links: Additional GSearch for common name)
 
(11 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Image:AmericanAvocet_mrcolin2u_SanElijoLagoon.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|mrcolin2u|mrcolin2u}}<br />San Elijo Lagoon, San Diego County, [[California]], [[USA]]]]
+
[[Image:AmericanAvocet_mrcolin2u_SanElijoLagoon.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Breeding plumage<br />Photo by {{user|mrcolin2u|mrcolin2u}}<br />San Elijo Lagoon, San Diego County, [[California]], [[USA]],  April 2008]]
 
;[[:Category:Recurvirostra|Recurvirostra]] americana
 
;[[:Category:Recurvirostra|Recurvirostra]] americana
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
Length 16-20" (41-51 cm)
+
Length 41-51 cm (16-20 in), wingspan 80 cm, weight 300-460 g
*Large, long-legged
+
*Large wader
*Slender, upturned bill
+
*Slender, upturned black bill
 +
*Long, gray legs
 
*Upperparts and wings patterned in black and white
 
*Upperparts and wings patterned in black and white
 
*Underparts white
 
*Underparts white
*Head and neck rust-colored in summer, white in winter
+
*Head and neck rust-colored in summer, pale gray in winter
  
 
==Distribution==
 
==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.
+
[[Image:280771DN 3717.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Winter plumage<br />Photo by {{user|mw_aurora|mw_aurora}}<br />Rowley, [[Massachusetts]], November 2006]]
 +
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]]. Also breeds irregularly on the Atlantic Coast of USA.
 +
 
 +
Regular visitor on Atlantic Coast in winter and on passage (largest numbers at Pea Island NWR on the [[Outer Banks and Lake Mattamuskeet|Outer Banks]], [[North Carolina]], and [[Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge]], [[Delaware]]) and the Great Lakes on fall passage.
 +
 
 +
Irregular winter visitor to northern [[Central America]].
  
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
A monotypic species.
+
This is a [[Dictionary_M-S#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.
<gallery>
 
Image:280771DN 3717.jpg|Photo by {{user|mw_aurora|mw_aurora}}<br />Photo taken: [[Rowley, MA]]
 
Image:American_Avocet.jpg|Photo by {{user|Ron+Conley|Ron Conley}}<br />Photo taken: [[Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve]], Huntington Beach, [[California]], [[USA]]
 
</gallery>
 
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
 +
[[Image:Avocet flight BF.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|bobmoose|bobmoose}}<br />Kelowna, [[British Columbia]], May 2014]]
 
Freshwater marshes and shallow marshy lakes; breeds locally in salt or brackish marshes. Many move to the coasts in winter.
 
Freshwater marshes and shallow marshy lakes; breeds locally in salt or brackish marshes. Many move to the coasts in winter.
  
 
==Behavior==
 
==Behavior==
====Nesting====
+
[[File:American_Avocet_Paddling_JM.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Winter Plumage<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|jmorlan|jmorlan}}<br />Millbrae, [[California]], [[USA]], 13 January 2021]]
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.
+
====Diet====
====Vocalisation====
+
Their diet consists mostly of aquatic invertebrates, insects, larvae, molluscs and crustaceans etc.
 +
====Breeding====
 +
The clutch consists of 4 olive-buff eggs, spotted with brown and black, in a shallow depression sparsely lined with grass on a beach or mudflat.
 +
 
 +
The often nest in loose colonies.
 +
====Vocalization====
 
A loud repeated ''wheep''.
 
A loud repeated ''wheep''.
 
+
==Gallery==
 +
Click on photo for larger image
 +
<gallery>
 +
Image:American_Avocet.jpg|Photo by {{user|Ron+Conley|Ron Conley}}<br />[[Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve]], Huntington Beach, [[California]], [[USA]], February 2005
 +
Image:616 09060fg American Avocet in Transition.jpg|Transitional plumage<br />Photo by {{user|bobsofpa|bobsofpa}}<br />[[Gilbert Riparian Institute|Gilbert Riparian Preserve]], [[Arizona]], [[USA]], May 2016
 +
</gallery>
 +
==References==
 +
#{{Ref-Clements6thAug15}}#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2015)
 +
{{ref}}
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
 +
Search the Gallery using the scientific name:
 
{{GSearch|Recurvirostra+americana}}
 
{{GSearch|Recurvirostra+americana}}
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Recurvirostra]][[Category:Incomplete]]
+
<br />
 +
Search the Gallery using the common name:
 +
{{GSearch|"American Avocet"}}
 +
{{GS-checked}}
 +
<br />
 +
<br />
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Recurvirostra]]

Latest revision as of 22:55, 22 January 2022

Breeding plumage
Photo by mrcolin2u
San Elijo Lagoon, San Diego County, California, USA, April 2008
Recurvirostra americana

Identification

Length 41-51 cm (16-20 in), wingspan 80 cm, weight 300-460 g

  • Large wader
  • Slender, upturned black bill
  • Long, gray legs
  • Upperparts and wings patterned in black and white
  • Underparts white
  • Head and neck rust-colored in summer, pale gray in winter

Distribution

Winter plumage
Photo by mw_aurora
Rowley, Massachusetts, November 2006

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. Also breeds irregularly on the Atlantic Coast of USA.

Regular visitor on Atlantic Coast in winter and on passage (largest numbers at Pea Island NWR on the Outer Banks, North Carolina, and Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware) and the Great Lakes on fall passage.

Irregular winter visitor to northern Central America.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species[1].

Habitat

Photo by bobmoose
Kelowna, British Columbia, May 2014

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

Behavior

Winter Plumage
Photo © by jmorlan
Millbrae, California, USA, 13 January 2021

Diet

Their diet consists mostly of aquatic invertebrates, insects, larvae, molluscs and crustaceans etc.

Breeding

The clutch consists of 4 olive-buff eggs, spotted with brown and black, in a shallow depression sparsely lined with grass on a beach or mudflat.

The often nest in loose colonies.

Vocalization

A loud repeated wheep.

Gallery

Click on photo for larger image

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2015)

Recommended Citation

External Links

Search the Gallery using the scientific name:


Search the Gallery using the common name:

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.

Back
Top