# American Avocet (*Recurvirostra americana*) The American Avocet is a beautiful bird with long legs and a curved beak. They love to wade in shallow waters and are often seen in groups, making them fun to watch! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 16 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![American Avocet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Recurvirostra_americana_-Palo_Alto_Baylands-8.jpg&width=800) Photo: Don DeBold, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Recurvirostra_americana_-Palo_Alto_Baylands-8.jpg) ## Appearance The American Avocet has a strikingly elegant appearance with a slender, distinctly upcurved black bill and super long, bluish-gray legs. Its body is primarily white with bold black and white wing patterns. During breeding season, its head and neck display a warm cinnamon color. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Recurvirostridae - **Genus:** Recurvirostra ## Interesting facts - Avocet chicks can swim and even feed themselves just hours after hatching! - Both mom and dad avocets share duties incubating eggs and raising their young. - Sometimes, they spin in circles to stir up tiny food from the bottom of the water! - They often feed in groups, sweeping their bills in a synchronized 'dance'. ## Special abilities - **Curved Crusher:** American Avocet can sweep its unique upcurved bill through water to filter-feed on tiny aquatic creatures because of its specialized shape. - **Wading Wanderer:** American Avocet has super long blue-gray legs that help them wade into deeper waters than other shorebirds to find food safely. - **Seasonal Stylist:** American Avocet can change the color of its head and neck from cinnamon to pale gray, indicating breeding or non-breeding seasons. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 40-51 cm - **Wingspan:** 68-76 cm - **Weight:** 0.275-0.375 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-15 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-4 - **Incubation:** 22-29 days - **Migration Distance:** 3000 km ## Diet & Feeding They sweep their curved bills through shallow water to catch tiny insects, crustaceans, and small fish. - **Primary Foods:** aquatic insects, brine shrimp, copepods, small fish, aquatic worms - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — Opportunistic predator of avocet eggs and chicks. - **Eaten by:** [California Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-gull) (*Larus californicus*) — Preys on eggs and young avocet chicks from nests. - **Eats:** Brine Shrimp (*Artemia franciscana*) — Sweeps up these tiny crustaceans in saline waters. - **Eats:** Brine Fly (*Ephydra hians*) — Consumes larvae and pupae of these flies from water. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and be quiet so you don't scare them away. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify American Avocet? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is American Avocet? 40-51 cm ### What is American Avocet's wingspan? 68-76 cm ### How much does American Avocet weigh? 0.275-0.375 kg ### How long does American Avocet live? 5-15 years ### How fast can American Avocet move? 50 km/h ### What does American Avocet eat? They sweep their curved bills through shallow water to catch tiny insects, crustaceans, and small fish. ### Where is American Avocet usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Eden Landing Ecological Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eden-landing-ecological-reserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mono-lake-tufa-state-natural-reserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Sierra Safari Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sierra-safari-zoo) — Nevada, US · Zoo - [ZooMontana](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoomontana) — Montana, US · Zoo - [Agnews Developmental Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/agnews-developmental-center) — California, US · Historic District - [Benicia Arsenal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/benicia-arsenal) — California, US · Historic Site [View all places to see American Avocet](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/american-avocet) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [American Avocet: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-avocet)