Life List 055
Visually documented
American Avocet
Recurvirostra americana
- First photographed
- June 2, 2026
- First location
- Colorado, United States
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
An evolving study
American Avocet portfolio
This collection grows as I return to photograph new behavior, habitat, seasons, and stages of life.
Natural history
Species at a glance
Recurvirostra americana
Overview
The American Avocet is an elegant western shorebird that sweeps its upcurved bill through shallow water to capture small prey. Breeding colonies defend nesting areas vigorously, sometimes mobbing intruders together.
Identification
Long blue-gray legs, a very thin upturned bill, and bold black-and-white wings. Adults develop a cinnamon head and neck in breeding plumage; the head and neck are pale gray in winter.
Range
Breeds mainly in shallow wetlands of western and central North America. It winters along the Pacific, Gulf, and southern Atlantic coasts, through Mexico, and locally in the Caribbean.
Habitat
Shallow saline or alkaline lakes, freshwater marshes, mudflats, flooded fields, evaporation ponds, estuaries, and sheltered coastal lagoons.
Diet
Aquatic insects, crustaceans, worms, mollusks, and other small animals, with some seeds and plant matter.
Order
Family
Regions documented
Photography by Brittany Templin