American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana
We are lucky to have the beautiful American Avocet abundantly available year round on southern San Francisco Bay, particularly at Palo Alto Baylands. Above the breeding plumage, below the non-breeding plumage in winter.
They can make striking patterns when they stand or fly together, which they are more likely to do in migration, as in the pictures above and the two below, passing through the Southern California desert.
Females have slightly longer and more upcurved bills. Below, in winter plumage, the outer two are females, the left inner bird is a male. Above, in breeding plumage, a male.
A winter-plumage American Avocet in flight.
Avocets feed by sweeping their upcurved bills from side to side along the surface of the water, as this male is doing in the image
above.
Female assumes a submissive posture during courtship.
After the courtship and mating, a pair building a nest in the salt-grass.
This incubating female looks down into her nest; she shows a brood patch, with her belly feathers pulled back to expose the skin that helps keep the eggs warm.
A female with her chick, not long out of the egg.
A chick in water, learning to forage.
A chick on a dry mudflat; its plumage matches the surface where it spends much of its time and is most in danger
from predators.