American Avocet

Recurvirostra americana

ORDER: Charadriiformes

FAMILY: Recurvirostridae

Description

A tall, elegant shorebird with a long upturned bill and bold black-and-white wings, its head and neck flushing rusty-orange in the breeding season. It feeds by sweeping that recurved bill side to side through shallow water and gathers in graceful flocks on Texas mudflats and salt ponds.

Location

Texas

Habitat

shallow wetlands, mudflats, and salt ponds

Season

migration and winter, a few through summer

Size

~18 in / 46 cm

Diet

aquatic insects and small crustaceans

Conservation Status

Least Concern