Recurvirostra americana
American avocet

American avocets are found in western North America from March through October and in coastal California, southern Texas, Florida, Louisiana and south to Guatemala in winter. (Gill, 1995; Soothill and Soothill, 1982)

American avocets are numerous in mudflats, ponds, wetlands, and freshwater marshes and swamps. They are also common in lakes, rocky/sandy seashores, bay/coastal islands, and tidal flats. (Ehrlich, Dobkin, and Wheye, 1988; Hayman, Marchant, and Prater, 1986; Soothill and Soothill, 1982)

Graceful and sleek, these long-legged waders have a black bill and light blue legs. Avocets are the tallest and longest-legged birds in their family. They are 400 to 500 mm in length and have a wingspan of 213 to 242 mm. They are often confused with black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus), but are distinguishable by the bold black and white pattern on their back and wings and a strongly upcurved black bill. Females are similar in appearance to males but with a shorter and more upwardly-curved bill, male bills are longer and straighter. They are the only avocet with distinct breeding and non-breeding plumages. Breeding plumage is obtained in the first year and is a beautiful rusty cinnamon along the head and neck. Basic plumage is a gray head. Adult breeding plumage appears from January to March and is lost in July to September. (Hayman, Marchant, and Prater, 1986; Kaufman, 2000; Soothill and Soothill, 1982)

Banded American avocets have been recorded to live up to 9 years in the wild.

No records are available about life span in captivity, but presumably they live for 9 plus years! (Klimkiewicz, 2002)

American avocets are migratory birds that form social groups and are colonial nesters. Outside of breeding season they may gather in flocks of several hundred and feed in dense groups. They show crepuscular activity patterns. (Ehrlich, Dobkin, and Wheye, 1988; Hayman, Marchant, and Prater, 1986; Nethersole-Thompson, 1986)

Home Range

We do not have information on home range for this species at this time.

American avocets make loud "wheet" or "pleeet" and shrill "kleeap" sounds that are often repeated. They are very noisy when intruders approach active nests. They also communicate using complex displays that include dancing, bowing and crouching. (Ehrlich, Dobkin, and Wheye, 1988; Kaufman, 2000; Soothill and Soothill, 1982)

American avocets swoop their open bills back and forth in shallow water to catch aquatic insects. They may feed in flocks of up to 100 plus birds, in deep water they will "tip up" like dabbling ducks and are reportedly good swimmers.

Foods eaten include: Insects and other invertebrates, shrimp and other crustaceans, aquatic vegetation and seeds. (Alden, 1999; Ehrlich, Dobkin, and Wheye, 1988; Soothill and Soothill, 1982)

American avocets are mostly quiet and uncaring but become extremely aggressive on breeding and nesting grounds and protest loudly and dive bomb when intruders approach. They have few non-human predators, some known nest predators include skunks (subfamily Mephitinae) and foxes (family Canidae). (Kaufman, 2000; Soothill and Soothill, 1982)

American avocets are important members of their ecosystem; because of their food habits they likely have a regulatory influence on insect and crustacean populations, and they are an important food source for their predators. They also have an influence on the plants and seeds they eat. (Brown, 1999)

There are no known adverse affects of American avocets on humans.

American avocets are enjoyable to watch and are sought out by many birders.

Currently protected by the US Migratory Bird Act, American avocets are making a comeback after over-hunting in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The main threats to American avocets today are habitat loss and degredation. (Brown, 1999)

American avocets are very beautiful birds with personality! I worked near them at wetland and they are very vocal and protective of nests. It is interesting to watch them wade and feed in shallows.