Discover

The four species of 'Avocets' are waders in the same avian family as the stilts. They are found in warm or hot climates.
They have long legs and long, thin, upcurved bills which they sweep from side to side when feeding in the brackish or saline wetlands they prefer. The plumage is pied, sometimes also with some red.
The avocets have webbed feet and they will readily swim. Their diet consists of aquatic insects and other small creatures.
They nest on the ground in loose colonies. In estuarine settings they may feed on exposed bay muds or mudflats.
The Pied Avocet is the emblem of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
The four species, all in the genus ''Recurvirostra'' are:

★ Pied Avocet, ''Recurvirostra avosetta''

★ American Avocet, ''Recurvirostra americana''

★ Red-necked Avocet, ''Recurvirostra novaehollandiae''

★ Andean Avocet, ''Recurvirostra andina''