Pied Avocet

Recurvirostra avosetta (Linnaeus, 1758)

2017-08-02 Tyumen region, Berdjuzhsky district, lake. Siverga	© Mariya Lupinos

Description

Quite a large wader. The crown, nape, outer scapulars, tertials, primaries, lesser and medium wing coverts are black often brown-tinged. The rest of plumage is white. Bill is black, thin, elastic, highly flattened, bill is straight only in the base part but in top part heavy upwards curved. Legs are blue-gray, rather long, with the well-developed membrane connecting all three fingers. Iris is brown. On juveniles the black in the plumage is replaced by brown; the scapulars and the inner secondaries are gray white-mottled and white-bordered. Size: wing 200-235 mm, tarsus 81-100 mm, bill 75-95 mm. Weight: autumn males 219-311 gr, females - 256-282 gr.

References