American Avocet

This avocet has long, thin, gray legs, giving it its colloquial name, blue shanks. The plumage is black and white on the back with white on the underbelly. The neck and head are cinnamon colored in the summer and gray in the winter. The long, thin bill is upturned at the end. The adult is about 45 cm tall.

The American Avocet is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The American avocet, with its curved bill and graceful body, is an unmistakable wading shorebird. The tallest avocet in the world, this species is also the only avocet with distinctly different breeding and winter plumages. More

The American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae. This avocet has long, thin, gray legs, giving it its colloquial name, "blue shanks". The plumage is black and white on the back with white on the underbelly. The neck and head are cinnamon colored in the summer and gray in the winter. The long, thin bill is upturned at the end. The adult is about 45 cm (18 inches) tall. More

American Avocet: Juvenile Default description American Avocet: Juvenile American Avocet: Winter Default description American Avocet: Winter American Avocet: Breeding Adult Default description American Avocet: Breeding Adult Related Birds Willet Greater Yellowlegs Black-necked Stilt Lesser Yellowlegs General American Avocet: Long-legged shorebird characterized by long, thin upcurved bill and distinctive black-and-white back and sides. More

American Avocets enjoying the beauty and clean Cedar Key waters of Nature Coast. Still Oil Spill-Free and clean. Come visit! American Avocet Recurvirostra americana off SR 24 Cedar Key, Levy, Florida 5/11/10 4:17:07 PM Tags American-Avocet . Avocet . Avocets . Recurviorstra-americana . Cedar-Key . Florida . FL . Fla . Michelle-Pearson . MickiP65 . MickiP Community Discussion You are currently not logged in. More

American Avocet Range MapView dynamic map of eBird sightings Field MarksHelp - * Adult breedingPopOutZoom In Adult breeding * © Tim W. More

American Avocet Giclee Print by John James Audubon American Avocet Giclee Print by John James Audubon American AvocetGiclee Print 20 x 16 in John James Audubon$83. More

American avocets in western United States have been contaminated with selenium as a result of irrigation and other human activities, loss of wetland habitat has led to population declines. Operators of selenium-contaminated ponds in California's Tulare Basin now required to provide mitigation habitat for breeding recurvirostrids, and species response has been favorable. SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS Considerend a game bird in early 1900s in California. More

American Avocet is unique among North American Birds. The avocet is a migratory shorebird that is characterized by a long, thin upcurved bill with distinctive black and white markings on its back and sides. Migratory Pattern – In the Fall and Winter, the Avocet migrates from the Midwest to the Southeastern portion of the Atlantic Coast, including the barrier islands of South Carolina. More

Many American Avocets winter in Mexico, along most of its coasts as well as some of its inland areas. They also winter along the Gulf Coast in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, and along the Atlantic coast from south Florida as far north as Virginia. American Avocets in the Central Valley of California and the San Francisco Bay area are resident year-round, as are some populations in southern California, south Texas, and Mexico. More

The American Avocet is a tall, graceful shorebird with very long, bluish legs, black upperparts broadly striped with white, and a very long, recurved bill. Pale rusty head and neck in breeding plumage. american avocet Female - The sexes are similar, though females have bills that are more strongly curved. Compare the two bills in this image. More

* American avocet (Recurvirostra americana) American avocet (Recurvirostra americana) * * * REFERENCED IN * RELATED TO Aspects of the topic "American avocet" are discussed in the following places at Britannica Assorted References * description (in avocet (bird)) ... More

The American Avocet nests on open ground, often in small groups, sometimes with other waders. A pair will rear one brood per season, with both male and female providing parental care for the young. This species is migratory, and mostly winters on the southern Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Mexico and the United States. The American Avocet forages in shallow water or on mud flats, often sweeping its bill from side to side in... More

Breeding distribution of American Avocets in the United States and southern Canada, based on Breeding Bird Survey data, 1985-1991. Scale represents average number of individuals detected per route per year. Map from Price, J., S. Droege, and A. Price. 1995. The summer atlas of North American birds. Academic Press, London, England. 364 pages. More

Breeding biology and foraging behavior of American Avocets were studied at Benton National Wildlife Refuge in northern Montana during 1983 and 1984. Birds were observed from mid-April through mid-July. Nests were located by daily nest searches on foot during the first few weeks of the breeding season. Nests on shorelines were marked by placing a numbered stake 15 paces inland. Nests on islands were marked by placing a 5 cm high wooden marker 15 cm from the nest. More

American Avocets at Palo Alto Baylands, CA American Avocets American Avocets American Avocet chicks American Avocet chicks American Avocet chicks American Avocet chicks American Avocet chicks American Avocet chicks American Avocet chicks American Avocet chicks American Avocet chicks American Avocet chicks American Avocet chicks American Avocet chicks American Avocet chicks More

The American avocet is a long-legged shorebird. It is characterized by a long, thin bill that curves upward. In the female avocet, the bill curves up a little bit more. This shorebird has a distinctive black and white striped pattern on its back and sides. More

The bill of an American avocet is curved slightly upward, the female’s more so than the male’s. A female’s bill is also slightly shorter than the bill of a male. Avocets feed by thrusting their bills into the water and swinging them from side to side along the bottom to stir up aquatic insects and other food items. Avocets also eat small crustaceans, plants, and other small aquatic animals. Avocets mate from April to June in the western half of the United States. More