Page 167 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

WADERS
Order Charadriiformes Family Recurvirostridae Species Recurvirostra avosetta
Avocet black cap very fine,
upcurved bill
slim, bright
diagonal bar over white body
inner wings
curved black
band on each
side of back
leans forward
while feeding
ADULT

squared black
wingtips (larger
on male)
IN FLIGHT
brown tips to
feathers long blue-
grey legs
ADULT

ADULT

JUVENILE
f its special needs are met – essentially shallow FLIGHT: quick, rather stiff; fast wingbeats; often in
Islightly saline water and oozy mud, with drier irregular packs.
islands – the Avocet may nest in quite large, loose,
widely scattered colonies, not tight-packed like gulls
or terns. However, it does form tightly packed flocks
in winter. Flocks jostle shoulder-to-shoulder when
feeding in a shallow tidal flow.With protection and
management of habitats,Avocets have increased
and spread in recent years.
VOICE Loud, fluty, somewhat Bee-eater-like (see
p.254) klute or kloop.
NESTING Scrape on low islands or dry mud, bare
or lined with grass and shell fragments; 3 or 4 eggs;
1 brood;April–July. TIGHT, ELEGANT FLOCKS
FEEDING Sweeps curved bill sideways through water In winter, Avocets form tight-packed, synchronized flocks, flying and
to locate tiny shrimps and marine worms. feeding together in elegant groups.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Mostly found in S Baltic and North
BLACK-WINGED STILT short bill Sea coasts, Mediterranean area,
see p.166
and also SW Great Britain. Breeds
straight on shallow, saline coastal lagoons
bill and near muddy pools, at times
solid
black short legs on bare ground around ponds. In
back BLACK-HEADED GULL winter, on muddy estuaries.
winter; equally
white at long Seen in the UK
range; see p.206 J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 42–46cm (16 1 ⁄2 –18in) Wingspan 67–77cm (26–30in) Weight 250–400g (9–14oz)
Social Winter flocks Lifespan 10–15 years Status Localized
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