Recurvirostridae - Avocets and Stilts

This is a small family, of only eight species. All are extremely long-legged, long-billed wading birds with a striking black and white plumage. The stilts have straight bills with pink legs, whereas the avocets have upcurved bills with blue-grey legs. All species take a range of invertebrates from under the water's surface, stilts by seizing them directly, avocets by scything their bill through the water, finding their prey by touch.

Regularly Occurring Species

Avocet

Occasional Visitors

Black-winged Stilt

Biodiversity loss and the UK’s birds

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