Pied Avocet

The Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae.

Adults have white plumage except for a black cap and black patches in the wings and on the back. They have a long upturned bill and long bluish legs. Juvenile birds are brown where the adult is black, and the white plumage is often blotched with greyer patches.

Their breeding habitat is shallow lakes with brackish water and bare mud exposed. They nest on open ground, often in small groups, sometimes with other waders. 3-5 eggs are laid in a lined scrape or on a mound of vegetation.

They breed in temperate Europe and western and Central Asia. This species is migratory and most winter in Africa or southern Asia. Some remain to winter in the mildest parts of their range, for example in southern Spain and southern England.

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

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

This species gets its English and scientific names from its black cap, as once worn by European advocates or lawyers.

This species became extinct in Great Britain. Its successful recolonisation led to its adoption as the logo of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.