Pied Avocet

Recurvirostra avosetta Linnaeus, 1758

42–46 cmLength78 cmWingspan304 gWeight

It is a boldly black-and-white, long-legged waterbird with a long, slender, upturned bill.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United Kingdom, Spain, China

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Bill long, slender and upturned
Black cap extends to nape
Body white; black patches on wings and back
Legs blue and very long

Male, female and young

Sexes similar in appearance; male has a longer, straighter bill, female a shorter, more curved bill. Juvenile has more gray and ocher.

Voice

A flowing, melodious “kluit kluit”, audible from a distance.

Where and when it's recorded

Pied Avocet has been recorded at 1,564 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 103 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom8,233 records
Minsmere RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom5,757 records
Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT NR – Cley Marshes including Hides and Visitor CentreUnited Kingdom4,698 records

More places

Mai Po Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)3,492 records
Desembocadura del Guadalhorce – ÁreaSpain3,297 records
Frampton Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom3,234 records
Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa2,310 records
L'Albufera PNat – El Raco de l'OllaSpain2,288 records
WWT Slimbridge Wetland CentreUnited Kingdom2,078 records
Oare Marshes LNRUnited Kingdom2,054 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom Spain China Portugal South Africa India France Sweden

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) is a species of wader in the Recurvirostridae family, the only member of the avocet genus Recurvirostra found in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Pied Avocet?

The Pied Avocet is about 42–46 cm long, with a wingspan of 78 cm and weighs around 304 g.

Where does the Pied Avocet live?

Its breeding range: Africa, Palearctic: inland and coastal southern British Isles, Iberian Peninsula, far southern Scandinavia (northwestern to southwestern Europe) and southwestern Russia to Transbaikalia (northeastern Russia) and northeastern China south through northern Middle East, Central Asia to east-central Afghanistan, Sind and Kutch (coastal Pakistan and northwestern India); eastern and southern Africa. It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, Spain and China.

When is the best time to see the Pied Avocet?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Pied Avocet endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Pied Avocet as Least Concern.

What does the Pied Avocet eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Pied Avocet in?

It belongs to the family Stilts, Avocets (Recurvirostridae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: 42–46 cm
Wingspan: 78 cm
Weight: 304 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 218 mm
Tail: 79 mm
Bill: 84 mm
Tarsus: 87 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa, Palearctic: inland and coastal southern British Isles, Iberian Peninsula, far southern Scandinavia (northwestern to southwestern Europe) and southwestern Russia to Transbaikalia (northeastern Russia) and northeastern China south through northern Middle East, Central Asia to east-central Afghanistan, Sind and Kutch (coastal Pakistan and northwestern India); eastern and southern Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2