American avocet
| American avocet | |
|---|---|
| Breeding plumage | |
| Nonbreeding plumage | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Recurvirostridae |
| Genus: | Recurvirostra |
| Species: | R. americana |
| Binomial name | |
| Recurvirostra americana Gmelin, JF, 1789 | |
Breeding Migration Year-round Nonbreeding | |
The American avocet (Recurvirostra americana) is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae, found in North America. It spends much of its time foraging in shallow water or on mud flats, often sweeping its bill from side to side in water as it seeks crustacean and insect prey.