The avocet is a distinctively-patterned black and white wader with a long up-curved beak. The avocet turns its eggs to ensure they get an equal amount of warmth. The avocet is a very distinctive looking bird due to the fact that the avocet has a long and thin, upturned beak which it sweeps from side to side in the water to catch food. Avocet is a type of wading bird. Fast flying birds have long, pointed wings. Avocet inhabits shallow lakes, saltwater wetlands, marshes, coastal bays and swamps. It is a tall slender bird with a long fine upturned bill and long blue-grey legs. Avocet. The avocet is a gregarious bird which lives in colonies during the breeding season. The name Avocet comes from the Ferrarese Avosetta (This word is considered to be derived from the Latin avis - the termination expressing a diminutive of a graceful or delicate kind, as donnetta from donna (Prof.Salvadori in epist.) The common name is thought to derive from the Italian word avosetta.Francis Willughby in 1678 noted it as the "Avosetta of the Italians". Distinctive large shorebird with a long, thin upturned bill and lean neck. An avocet is any of four species of wading bird of the genus Recurvirostra, with long, slender bills, long legs, and webbed feet. It nests in the central North American plains. The American Avocet takes elegance to a new level. Average length 18 - 20 inches and 27 - 38 inch wingspan. There are four species of avocet that can be found in Europe, Asia, Australia and on the Pacific coast of North America. The fact of this curious bird's breeding in the interior of our country accidentally became known to me in June 1814. Bold black-and-white wings prominent year-round. Songs vs. calls (s, c) In ornithology, a song (s) is generally defined as a vocalization used in primarily territorial and mate attraction/retention contexts. The four species of avocets / ˈ æ v ə s ɛ t / are a genus, Recurvirostra, of waders in the same avian family as the stilts.The genus name comes from Latin recurvus, "curved backwards" and rostrum, "bill". Adults in summer have buffy-orange wash on head. Breeding adult male American Avocet. This long-legged wader glides through shallow waters swishing its slender, upturned bill from side to side to catch aquatic invertebrates. A particular recording may include all three. There are four different species of avocet which are the Pied avocet, the American avocet, the Red-necked avocet and the Andean avocet.. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too. This pied bird, with its distinctive upturned bill, can now be seen on marshes and estuaries in the East and South West. Number of avocet decreased in the last couple of decades due to habitat loss and increased chemical pollution of water ecosystems. Perhaps the most striking and easily identified North American shorebird, Avocets are unlikely to be confused with any other species. A key species in the story of conservation, the avocet represents an amazing recovery of a bird once extinct in the UK. This Schedule 1 species is the emblem of the RSPB and symbolises the bird protection movement in the UK more than any other species. Climate threats facing the American Avocet. Beginning of a dialog window, including tabbed navigation to register an account or sign in to an existing account. Wing Shape. We place bird sounds in any of three categories: s = song; c = call; u = unspecified. Visit the Bent Life History for extensive additional information on the American Avocet. This is probably a result of specialized breeding and feeding requirements and a … Soaring birds have long, broad wings. The avocet, a once extinct bird with a bold black ‘cap’ and contrasting white coat, is worn proudly on the emblem of the RSPB and has symbolised the bird protection movement in the UK since its reintroduction back in the 1940s. How to identify an Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta): The Avocet is a mostly white bird with black wing tips, cap and wing bars. “What type of bird is an Avocet?” I am familiar with the American Avocet. Distribution: The American Avocet is an elegant long-legged shorebird recognized by its upturned bill. Project AVoCet aims to provide a global database of well-documented, downloadable bird sounds in aid of environmental and ornithological research, conservation, education, and the identification and appreciation of birds and their habitats. Types of bird sounds. The generic name Recurvirostra comes from the Avocet's long recurved, or up-turned bill, used for both visual and tactile feeding on invertebrates. It dons a sophisticated look for summer with a black-and-white body and a rusty head and neck. Plate 318 American Avocet. Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. Different songbirds will have a slightly different wing shape. In breeding plumage, the head and neck are rusty orange, but in basic (nonbreeding) plumage they are gray. ; but it is spelt Avocetta by Prof. Giglioli) . This shorebird can be found from the central regions of Manitoba and west to the central regions of Alberta. The avocet is generally found in watery habitats close to the coast including marshland, wetlands and swamp.