How to Identify American Avocets

American Avocets are large shorebirds that have a graceful appearance as they wade through water. American Avocets can be easy birds to identify if you know their distinct characteristics. Here is how to identify American Avocets.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Pay attention to the habitat of the American Avocets. These birds breed on the great plains of North America, and can also be found along the Texas, Florida and California coasts. Sometimes, you can find them living on the Atlantic coast, especially in the fall. They like to live in shallow ponds, wetlands, marshes and on lake shores.

2. Take note of the American Avocets' coloring, with black and white upper parts and white under parts. They have a rust colored neck and head during breeding season and a gray head and neck during the winter. Look for black and white colored pointed wings and narrow, grayish-blue legs and a long, slender upturned bill. Female American Avocets are a little bit smaller than males, and they also have a smaller, more upturned shaped bill. Juveniles have a gray and cinnamon colored head and neck.

3. Observe the size of the American Avocets. They are large bird, ranging from 43 to 47 cm in size, with a wingspan of approximately 69 to 97 cm. They weigh between 275 and 350 g.

4. Listen to the call of the American Avocets that typically sound like "wheet." It is loud, high-pitched and repetitive. Each note of their call can change in pitch gradually when a predator is around.

5. Watch the behavior of an American Avocet. They are strong and direct flyers. Also, when feeding, they sweep their long bills from side to side in the water.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't confuse American Avocets with the Black-necked Stilts. The Black-necked Stilts have a black face, back and back of the neck. They also have red legs unlike the American Avocets.

Resources

• Information on Identifying Birds
• All About Birds From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology