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Manatee County

Audubon Society

American Avocet

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Name

American Avocet

Scientific Name

(Recurvirostra americana)

Why they are special:
  • A striking shorebird with a long, upturned bill and elegant black-and-white wings in flight.

  • Known for its sweep-feeding behavior, moving its bill side-to-side in shallow water to catch invertebrates.

Size and color:
  • Medium-large shorebird, 16–20 inches long with a wingspan of 28–32 inches.

  • Breeding adults have white head and neck with cinnamon-colored crown and neck, gray back and wings, black flight feathers.

  • Non-breeding adults are paler gray with white head.

Seasonality in Florida:
  • Winter visitor and migratory stopover, mostly on shallow coastal flats and estuaries.

Habitat:
  • Shallow mudflats, salt ponds, estuaries, and tidal flats.

  • Often seen wading gracefully in small flocks.

Diet:
  • Feed on aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans, and small insects, sweeping bills from side to side through shallow water.

Behavior:
  • Highly social; often forages in small flocks, moving rhythmically through shallow water.

  • Nest in scrapes on dry mud or sand near water, sometimes in loose colonies.

Conservation notes:
  • Populations are stable but dependent on quality wetland habitats.

  • Sensitive to water level changes in coastal estuaries.

Best time to see:
  • Winter and migration periods, especially in shallow coastal flats and salt ponds.
Fun Fact:
  • American Avocets use their upturned bills like miniature rakes, sweeping through water to stir up and catch tiny prey.
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