The American avocet (Recurvirostra americana) is one of four avocet species; the Andean avocet, the Pied avocet, and the Red-necked avocet are the remaining three species in the genus. It is a long-legged shorebird with a distinctive long, thin bill that curves upward. The bill of the female is shorter and slightly more upturned than the bill of the male. The American Avocet forages by sweeping its long bill from side to side. It breeds around wetlands in dry parts of interior North America, but during the winter, heads to coastal lagoons, salt ponds, and mudflats.
