Lower Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge, California US, in April 2007
Credit: Dan Dzurisin

North American field guide

American Avocet

Recurvirostra americana

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

41-51 cm (16-20") Fairly common. In summer, salt marshes, shallow lakes, ponds; in winter, coastal beaches, mudflats. More of a western bird; thousands concentrate at Great Salt Lake.

Tall, slim wader with a thin neck and spindly gray legs. Distinctive black-and-white pattern above, white below; head and neck rusty in breeding season, pale gray in winter.

Forages by sweeping its very thin upcurved bill from side to side.

Song: loud repeated "wheek".

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

Loading the rebuilt map…

Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Approximate reconstruction of a historical map. Source date unknown.

Geography: Natural Earth
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 3 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

American Avocet

3 rules
Rule 1 12 criteria confidence 5
What colour were the LEGS or FEET ?
Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and slender · Upcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Sandpiper-like · Long-legged wader
WHEN was the bird seen ?
Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States
result:360-american-avocet:1:1 Source: 360 American Avocet, row 1
Rule 2 12 criteria confidence 1
What colour were the LEGS or FEET ?
Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and slender · Upcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Sandpiper-like · Long-legged wader
WHEN was the bird seen ?
Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Northeastern Canada or United States
result:360-american-avocet:2:1 Source: 360 American Avocet, row 2
Rule 3 12 criteria confidence 4
What colour were the LEGS or FEET ?
Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and slender · Upcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Sandpiper-like · Long-legged wader
WHEN was the bird seen ?
Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States