A scarce wader, the avocet is about the same size as an oystercatcher, but much more slender. It feeds on aquatic insects, worms and crustaceans, which it finds by sweeping its bill from side-to-side in shallow water. It is often seen on estuaries and mudflats at the coast where it breeds on exposed mud in a dug-out scrape.
How to identify
Avocets are mainly white, with black patches on the back and wings, and a black cap stretching down the back of the neck. They have long, blue legs, but are most easily recognised by their long, black, upturned bills.
Did you know?
Avocets, or 'pied avocets' as they are known globally, are a great conservation success story: extinct in the UK during the 19th century, this beautiful bird was given a lifeline during the Second World War when it was able to recolonise the beaches of East Anglia which were closed and flooded as a defence against invasion.
