From Opus

This article is incomplete. This article is missing one or more sections. You can help the BirdForum Opus by expanding it.

Photo by John Dempsey

Recurvirostra avosetta

[edit] Identification

White plumage, black cap, black patches in the wings and on the back. Long, upturned bills (recurved) and long, blue legs. Juvenile white plumage is often blotched with greyer patches.

[edit] Distribution

Scarce breeder with patchy and discontinuous range in Europe, Africa and Asia. In the north-west breeds on coasts in east and south-east England and from northern France to Germany and Denmark, south Sweden, the islands of Oland and Gotland and west Estonia. Recently found breeding for the first time in Slovenia, Poland, north-west England and Wales. Further south breeds on the northern Biscay coast of France and in the Mediterranean in Spain, France and Sardinia, the north Adriatic coast of Italy, in Hungary and northern Greece. Also breeds from the Danube Delta in Romania, north around the Black Sea coast and east to the Caspian and from there in a discontinous band through Central Asia including Mongolia and northern China. In Turkey breeds mainly in Central Anatolia, also in the far east of the country and in Armenia and Azerbaijan. In Africa breeds in Tunisia and in Sinai, possibly also Algeria and from Eritrea through Eastern Africa to South Africa.

Migrant or partial migrant in northern parts of range but dispersive in the south, leaving breeding grounds in late July-September. Small numbers winter in Britain and North-West Europe but many more in Iberia and North-West Africa, Egypt and Iraq. Big numbers wintering in western Africa, mainly at the coast and in Pakistan, India and China. Some birds stay year around in the wintering grounds. Return movement begins as early as late February but most takes place in April. As a vagrant recorded north to Iceland and Faroes, on the Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Thailand and Japan.

[edit] Taxonomy

Photo by Mahsleb
Titchwell, Norfolk

A monotypic species.

[edit] Habitat

Shallow water, muddy and sandy shores, estuaries, mudflats and saltmarshes.

[edit] Behaviour

These birds forage in shallow brackish water or on mud flats, often sweeping their bills from side to side in water. Diet includes crustaceans and insects.

[edit] Vocalisation

The call of the Avocet is a loud klute-klute-klute.

[edit] External Links