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  • Avocet

Avocet

Avocet
Avocet
  • Scientific name: Recurvirostra avosetta
  • Bird family: Avocets and stilts
  • UK conservation status: Amber
  • Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Avocet call audio

Your browser does not support this audio feature.

Marco Dragonetti, Xeno-canto

Key information

The avocet is a distinctively-patterned black and white wader with a long up-curved beak. This Schedule 1 species is the emblem of the RSPB and symbolises the bird protection movement in the UK more than any other species. Its return in the 1940s and subsequent increase in numbers represents one of the most successful conservation and protection projects.

What they eat:

Aquatic insects and their larvae, crustaceans and worms.

Measurements:

Length:
42-45cm
Wingspan:
77-80cm
Weight:
260-290g

Population:

UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.
UK breeding:
1,500 pairs
UK wintering:
7,500 birds
Europe:
37-54,000 pairs

Identifying features:

Avocet

Wading Avocet Illustration
Feather colour: Black White
Leg colour: Blue
Beak: Black Long Curved Thin
Natural habitats: Grassland Marine and intertidal Wetland

Where and when to see them

The avocet can be seen in coastal lagoons on the east coast in summer and the Exe estuary in winter.

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Summer
  • Winter
Avocet distribution map

You can see avocets along the east coast of England in summer and in the South West in winter.

  • jan
  • feb
  • mar
  • apr
  • may
  • jun
  • jul
  • aug
  • sep
  • oct
  • nov
  • dec

RSPB reserves

  • RSPB Havergate Island
  • RSPB Blacktoft Sands
  • RSPB Bowling Green and Goosemoor
  • RSPB Dearne Valley Old Moor
  • RSPB Medmerry
  • RSPB Frampton Marsh
  • RSPB Snettisham
  • RSPB Stanford Wharf
  • RSPB Vange Marsh
  • RSPB Wallasea Island
  • RSPB Titchwell Marsh
  • RSPB Minsmere
  • RSPB Old Hall Marshes
  • RSPB Dingle Marshes
  • RSPB Boyton and Hollesley Marshes
  • RSPB Cliffe Pools
  • RSPB Marshside
  • RSPB Leighton Moss
  • RSPB Langford Lowfields

Video

Watch the avocet in its natural habitat.

Watch the avocet in its natural habitat.

Avocet video screenshot

In more depth

Avocet breeding habits

Avocet breeding habits

Avocet conservation

Avocet conservation

Avocet nesting behaviour

Avocet nesting behaviour

Where and what do avocets eat?

Where and what do avocets eat?

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 Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta on mud, Exminster Marshes RSPB reserve

Avocets reach record numbers

Avocets are a symbol of conservation success, which is why they’re on our logo.
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How you can help birds

Would you like to do your part in helping nature? Find out more information about how you can help birds here.
Wren standing up proudly on the end of a wooden log, surrounded by the purple-blue colour of bluebells in the foreground and blurred background

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