American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana

American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana, Females. Birds photographed in the greater Salton Sea area of Southern California, January 2013. Photographs courtesy of Dr. Tom Bartol, Carlsbad, California.

American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana, Female. Bird photographed within the San José del Cabo Estuary, San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, February 2010. Photograph courtesy of Carol Snow, Del Mar, California.

American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana, Breeding Female. Bird photographed in the greater Mexico City area, March 2021. Photograph and identification courtesy of Marina Sutormina, Stockholm, Sweden.

American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana, Male. Bird photographed within the San José del Cabo Estuary, San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, February 2010. Photograph courtesy of Carol Snow, Del Mar, California.

American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana, Male. Photograph taken in the coastal area of Yavaros, Sonora, November 2017. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

Background and Identification

The American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana is a member of the Recuvirostridae family. They are one of four species of Avocet in the world, and the only one with seasonal coloring. In the wild, they live for at least 15 years. The Spanish name is Avoceta Americana. The American Avocet breeds in semicolonial groups. Both males and females perform mating displays to maintain reproductive bonds, build the nest, care for the young, and defend breeding territory. They are known to be aggressive in defending their nest and young.

The American Avocet is large in stature, with long, blue-grey legs. The feet are webbed, with extensive webbing connecting the middle and outside toes. They have long, thin, black bills that curve upward at the tip. The base of the mandible can be slightly brown. The sexes are monomorphic; however, males tend to be larger and present longer, less curved bills. During winter months, the head, neck, and underside of the bird are white. During the breeding season, the head and neck are rust-colored.  The back and wings have mostly black coloring with some white bands. This pattern is similar to chevron. The wings unfurled are mostly black.

Habitat and Geographical Range

The American Avocet’s primary habitats are intertidal mudflats, water impoundments, tidal lagoons, and salt ponds. They prefer fine sediments to sandy or rocky sediments. They feed on aquatic invertebrates, terrestrial invertebrates, and small fish and can supplement with seeds. Although American Avocets are typically waders, they can also swim and dabble. They often feed in large groups. They are found in shallow wetlands in Mexico and western North America.

Known for frequenting the ephemeral wetlands of arid regions, the American Avocet can be used as an indicator species for the health of these ecosystems. They are found in Baja California, along the West and East coasts of Mexico, and up into Coastal California and the Gulf Coast of Texas. They can also be found in interior Mexico from central Chihuahua, down through Durango. Smaller populations can be found in coastal areas of Guatemala, but are not common. Year-round populations can be found along the southwest coast of California, interior Mexico (within Zacatecas down through Estado de Mexico), and the Gulf Coast of Texas. Their migratory patterns have yet to be studied; however, some populations are observed to be resident while others are migratory. Migration is short to medium distance and the most northern populations can be found in southern Canada. In North America, breeding locations are scattered from the Dakotas to New Mexico and toward the West Coast. Migratory patterns can be both north-west and inland-coastal. American Avocets stay at stopover sites for long periods during their migratory period.

Common Misidentifications

The American Avocet is a straightforward identification due to the species distinctive coloring and morphology. They are similar to the Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus mexicanus (different leg, neck, and head color with pink legs, and black coloring along its nape and crown).

Conservation Status

From a conservation perspective, the American Avocet is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. A recent estimate of their population is 450,000 individuals in North America. The main concerns for the long term viability of this species are habitat loss due to urban development and contamination of water in wetlands.