American AvocetRecurvirostra americanaDistinctive large shorebird with a long, thin, upturned bill. Look for bold black-and-white wings and long blue-gray legs. Breeding adults have buffy-orange wash on head and neck; grayish in winter. Females have more sharply upturned bills than males. Widespread and fairly common in North America, although rare or absent from much of the eastern U.S. Usually seen in flocks, sometimes numbering into the hundreds, foraging in shallow wetlands or estuaries. Feeds by swinging its head back-and-forth through the water to catch small invertebrates.Recurvirostridae bird family
Order Charadriiformes · 3 selected species
Browse verified BirdLens profiles selected for complete taxonomy, substantial descriptive coverage, and visual evidence. Open a species to compare its identification notes, distribution, behavior, sounds, and maps.
American AvocetRecurvirostra americanaDistinctive large shorebird with a long, thin, upturned bill. Look for bold black-and-white wings and long blue-gray legs. Breeding adults have buffy-orange wash on head and neck; grayish in winter. Females have more sharply upturned bills than males. Widespread and fairly common in North America, although rare or absent from much of the eastern U.S. Usually seen in flocks, sometimes numbering into the hundreds, foraging in shallow wetlands or estuaries. Feeds by swinging its head back-and-forth through the water to catch small invertebrates.American AvocetRecurvirostra americanaDistinctive large shorebird with a long, thin, upturned bill. Look for bold black-and-white wings and long blue-gray legs. Breeding adults have buffy-orange wash on head and neck; grayish in winter. Females have more sharply upturned bills than males. Widespread and fairly common in North America, although rare or absent from much of the eastern U.S. Usually seen in flocks, sometimes numbering into the hundreds, foraging in shallow wetlands or estuaries. Feeds by swinging its head back-and-forth through the water to catch small invertebrates.
Banded StiltCladorhynchus leucocephalusLarge black-and-white shorebird with white head and long straight, needle-like bill, very long pink legs. Adult has prominent copper-colored belly-band, lacking in juvenile. Thick white trailing edge to wing obvious in flight. Occurs in small groups or in immense flocks, usually close to inland salt lakes or coastal lagoons.