Pied avocet

Recurvirostra avosetta

A black-and-white shorebird with a slender upcurved bill, sweeping gracefully through shallow water for food.

Key facts

Pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) is a carnivore animal classified as Bird · Charadriiformes · Recurvirostridae.
Primary habitats are coast · freshwater, with a range across Palearctic · Afrotropical · Indomalayan.
Activity is diurnal, sociality is loose group, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
A black-and-white shorebird with a slender upcurved bill, sweeping gracefully through shallow water for food.
Lives on tidal flats, saltpans, coastal lagoons, shallow lakes, and wet sandy or muddy ground.

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Lives on tidal flats, saltpans, coastal lagoons, shallow lakes, and wet sandy or muddy ground.

The body is white with black head and wing markings, long blue-gray legs, and a fine bill curved upward.

Flocks walk through shallows and sweep the bill from side to side. Breeding birds call loudly and defend nest areas.

Small crustaceans, aquatic insects, worms, and mollusks are taken from water and soft mud.

Shallow nests are made on bare ground or small islands near water. Precocial chicks walk and feed under parental protection.

In some regions it symbolizes wetland conservation, while habitat alteration and pollution remain threats.