Avocet

The Avocet is a striking wader, characterised by its long, slender legs and uniquely upturned bill. Its plumage is predominantly white, with bold black markings on the head, back, and wings, creating a striking contrast. The long, thin neck and compact body contribute to its elegant silhouette.

Whilst males and females are almost identical in markings, the black area of the wing tip on the male is larger than that of the female, who also has a slightly shorter bill. There are no significant seasonal changes.

Juveniles resemble adults but have a duller, brownish-black colouration, whereas adults are black, and their bills are shorter and less curved.

The avocet has a short melodious call similar to “kloop” often repeated in quick succession. When flying in groups, the flock will often attack and dive bomb other birds shrieking loudly as they do so.

Within the UK avocets are mainly limited to wetlands along the east coast and south west of England. Those resident within the UK often summer on the east coast but move to spend their winters on the warmer south west coast.

Some however, leave our shores for the winter returning to Africa to await the arrival of the British spring. Avocets tend to gather around mud flats and brackish water of coastal lagoons although they may also congregate around lakes and reservoirs.

One of the most obvious ways to positively identify an avocet is by watching it feed. Not only is the movement of scything the water with its long and thin black bill a typical trait unique to the avocet, but it also adopts a forwards leaning stance as it does so.

In flight the bold black and white markings of its back and wings are easy to observe.

Avocets mainly feed on a diet of small shrimps and other crustaceans, tiny fish and waterborne insects and larvae which they catch as they methodically wade through the water whilst sweeping to and fro with their bills and dislodging food from the muddy bottom.

Avocets nest on the ground, often in widely spread colonies and mainly on mounds of grass, dry mud or low scrapes, which are lined with dry grass or shoreline debris.

They produce one brood of 3 or 4 eggs annually between April and July. The eggs are a light buff colour with dark brown or black markings.

Avocets are known for their distinctive feeding technique: They sweep their upturned bills from side to side in shallow water to catch small invertebrates.

They are social birds, often seen in small flocks, and engage in synchronised swimming during courtship displays. During the breeding season, Avocets become fiercely territorial, aggressively defending their nesting areas from intruders.

The lifespan of the pied avocet is 10 years. The British Trust for Ornithology cite one avocet on record as living to the ripe old age of 23 years and 9 months.

While currently listed as Least Concern globally, Avocets have faced historical declines due to habitat loss. They've become a conservation success story in the UK, rebounding from near extinction in the 1940s.

Ongoing wetland protection and management are crucial for their continued success.

The Pied Avocet is one of four species of avocets and the only one found in the UK. This slim, wading bird is predominantly white with black bands on its back and wings coupled with a black cap extending down the back of its neck. The underside of the wings are white.

Whilst both males and females are almost identical in markings the black area of the wing tip on the male is larger than that of the female who also has a slightly shorter bill.

They have long grey-blue legs, and most noticeably, the long black bill turned upwards at its end.

Juveniles have brown tips to their feathers. As the bird wades through shallow water it sweeps its bill from side to side below the surface in order to catch its food.