American Avocet Facts

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
Species Code: REAM

What they look like: The American Avocet is a large shorebird with a striking black and white pattern on its back, long bluish-gray legs, and a very long, thin, upwardly curved bill. The bill of the female is shorter and slightly more upturned than the bill of the male. The underparts of males and females are white.

Breeding adults have buffy-orange plumage on the head and neck (see bottom photo). From September to February, the heads and necks are gray to whitish in non-breeding adults. Juveniles have pale pinkish-orange plumage on the head and neck.

Where they live: During the summer, the American Avocet breeds in the western Great Plains, from Saskatchewan and Alberta southward through Montana and the Dakotas to eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle. Also breeds in isolated wetland areas in the arid western states, and along coast of California and Texas. Some birds breed on Atlantic Coast and others breed in central Mexico.

Winters in California and Mexico, and along coast from Texas to North Carolina (source: All About Birds).

American Avocets occupy shallow freshwater habitat in open country. In Washington, the American Avocet is locally common in freshwater ponds and wetlands of the Columbia Basin.

What they eat: American Avocet primarily eats insects and small crustaceans. They sometimes eat seeds and small fish.

Behavior: American Avocets forage by sweeping their long bills from side to side with the tip of the curved bill barely submerged in water.

The adults defend their young using an array of alarm calls and distraction displays. They will also dive-bomb predators if the eggs or nestlings are in danger.

Nesting: Nest building is a task of males and females. They scrape out the nest depression on the ground, then add lining such as pebbles, grass, and feathers.

The female usually lays four eggs which the male helps to incubate. Another female will sometimes lay 1-4 additional eggs in the same nest. Although, these 'dump nests' rarely succeed.

Chicks are very precocial and able to leave the nest within 1-2 hours of hatching. Day-old avocets can walk, swim, and even dive to escape predators. The young form flocks with other fledglings and adults when leaving the nesting area following breeding season. American Avocets normally raise only one brood per season.

Nesting American Avocets aggressively attack predators to protect the nest site. They sometimes physically strike Northern Harriers, Common Ravens or other predatory birds.

Conservation: Populations declined in the 1960s and 1970s, largely from the loss of wetlands from water diversion for human use including housing developments, business parks and shopping malls.

Did you know?

• The American Avocet occupy shallow freshwater habitat.
• It swings its long upturned bill through the shallow water to catch small invertebrates.
• American Avocets normally raise only one brood per season.
• The chicks leave the nest within one day after hatching.

American Avocet feeding in shallow water (photo by Natures Pics)

Definitions:

Brood - noun:  the young of an animal cared for at one time.
Fledgling - noun:  young bird that has just fledged or become capable of flying.
Precocial - adjective: (of hatchlings) covered with down and having eyes open; capable of leaving the nest within a few days.

More information:
BirdWeb: American Avocet
All About Birds: American Avocet