Avocet call: Lars Edenius, Xeno-Canto
Avocet
Avocet
What am I?
I am a wading bird.
Where do I come from?
You can find me throughout the year in coastal lagoons and estuaries. We breed on the East coast and spend the winters on the South and West coasts.
A bit about me
Don’t tell the other birds but I am famous! I am the emblem of the RSPB and my reintroduction in the 40s is one of the most successful conservation projects in the UK. I am easily recognised by my upturned bill which I use to feed on aquatic insects, crustaceans, and worms by sweeping it side-to-side through the water.
Local spotlight
Although most of us breed on the East coast, you can also find breeding pairs in the New Forest at sites such as Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes, and North Solent NNR.
Conservation status
Fun fact
Once extinct in the UK, we were able to recolonise during the second world war when beaches in East Anglia were flooded to protect the country from invasion.
