American Avocets are elegant black and white birds with lengthy black payments and blue-gray legs. Breeding adults have oranged tinged heads and breasts.
Juveniles look extra like older chicks, in that they’ve grayish-brown and downy feathers. Their payments are additionally nonetheless straight, with out the upward curve on the finish.
- Recurvirostra americana
- Size: 18 – 20 in (46 – 51 cm)
- Weight: 11.1 oz (315 g)
- Wingspan: 27 – 38 in (69 – 97 cm)
Vary
American Avocets breed inland predominantly in western and central US states and spend winter alongside the Gulf Coast and Central American Coasts.
Habitat and Food plan
Yow will discover American Avocets in shallow water that’s lower than eight inches deep. Breeding grounds are in areas with little vegetation.
Throughout winter, you could discover them in rice fields, flooded pastures, intertidal mudflats, and tidal lagoons.
American Avocets forage for meals whereas wading or swimming in shallow water. They often catch small fish, shrimp, and seeds.
They transfer their payments backward and forward within the water (known as “scything”) to seize prey of their partially open payments.
American Avocet Calls:
Nests
Nests of American Avocets are scrapes on the bottom, often situated on islands or mucky shorelines and near the water, and lined with feathers or pebbles.
The feminine then lays as much as 4 eggs that take three to 4 weeks to hatch. Younger chicks can fend for themselves instantly after being born.
Enjoyable Truth:
American Avocets nest in free colonies and defend their territories as a gaggle. If a predator manages to penetrate the colony, it’ll discover itself surrounded by a number of grownup avocets making an attempt to distract it.
