Pied Avocet
Recurvirostra avosetta
The Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) is a common stilts and avocet found in 115 countries, weighing about 304 g. The pied avocet is a species of wader in the Recurvirostridae family, the only member of the avocet genus Recurvirostra found in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
About the Pied Avocet
The pied avocet is a species of wader in the Recurvirostridae family, the only member of the avocet genus Recurvirostra found in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
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.
What the Pied Avocet sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Cape Verde, Congo - Kinshasa, Libya, Guernsey, Gabon, Lebanon, Gibraltar, Luxembourg.
When to see it
The Pied Avocet can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Pied Avocet?
- Adults have a striking black-and-white plumage, with a black cap extending to the back of the neck. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Pied Avocet?
- The Pied Avocet is a large sized bird weighing about 304 g.
- Where can you see a Pied Avocet?
- The Pied Avocet occurs in 115 countries, including Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Taiwan.
- What does a Pied Avocet sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Pied Avocet on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Pied Avocet?
- The Pied Avocet is most easily confused with the American Avocet, the Red-necked Avocet and the Andean Avocet.
- Is the Pied Avocet endangered?
- The Pied Avocet is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Pied Avocet for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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