Pied Avocet
Recurvirostra avosetta
Adults have a striking black-and-white plumage, with a black cap extending to the back of the neck. The primaries are black, with the base of the inner primaries white, while the secondary coverts are dark grey. The rectrices are pale grey-brown in the middle and white elsewhere. The species shows no seasonal plumage variation. The tail is white, and the legs are bluish. The long, black beak is slender and upturned. Sexual dimorphism is subtle and difficult to discern in the field. The male's bill is longer and less curved, while the female's is shorter and more distinctly curved.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Red-necked Avocet
Recurvirostra novaehollandiae
The distinguishing feature of the red-necked avocet, and all avocet species, is the distinctive upcurved bill that is used for skimming the surface of water to catch small invertebrates. The adult's head and neck is a rich chestnut brown in colour (from which it derives its name) with a narrow white eye ring and a red-brown iris. The secondary coverts and primary feathers are black and the remainder of the plumage is white. The bill is black and the legs are a pale grey-blue. Both male and female are similar in colouring and size; neither is there seasonal variation in appearance.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Pied Avocet and Red-necked Avocet.