Bird 🐦
🐦
Recurvirostra avosetta
| Size | 42–45 cm Similar to a small gull |
|---|---|
| Weight | 225–400 g About the weight of a large orange |
| Lifespan | 15 years |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| M vs F | Sexes look identical — both striking black and white with a long upcurved bill and blue-grey legs |
| Habitat | Shallow coastal lagoons, estuaries, saline lakes — needs bare mud or fine gravel for nesting |
| Best time | April–August on breeding sites; winter on estuaries in SW England |
| Conservation | UK: Amber LC |
Did you know?
The Avocet is the emblem of the RSPB — it was chosen after a remarkable conservation triumph: extinct as a UK breeding bird for over 100 years, it recolonised Suffolk in 1947 after careful habitat management at Havergate Island
The Avocet is the emblem of the RSPB — it was chosen after a remarkable conservation triumph: extinct as a UK breeding bird for over 100 years, it recolonised Suffolk in 1947 after careful habitat management at Havergate Island
More for experts
They feed by sweeping their upcurved bill from side to side just under the water surface — a technique called scything — detecting invertebrates by touch rather than sight
Often confused with
Black-winged Stilt (straight bill, very long pink legs, no curves), Oystercatcher (all orange bill, black and white)
Black-winged Stilt (straight bill, very long pink legs, no curves), Oystercatcher (all orange bill, black and white)