American Avocet - Recurvirostra americana
The genus name means "bent-back-beak."
Damp dismal day with rain, sleet, and corn snow at Frank Lake on April 21, 2013.
The Avocet swings the head and upwardly curved bill from side-to-side to feed in shallow muddy waters. A group of birds often advance together and the heads and bills move in unison. The sweeping motion sets up local currents that waft small surface invertebrates between the mandibles.
Avocets use the upturned bill to stir up mud on the bottom. These birds also dabble or dive for food.
References
The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.
Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.
Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.
Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.
Tudge Colin. The Bird. Crown Publishers. New York. 2008.
The genus name means "bent-back-beak."
Avocets use the upturned bill to stir up mud on the bottom. These birds also dabble or dive for food.
 |
| April, 26th, 2013 - Two Avocets on a sunnier day. |
References
The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.
Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.
Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.
Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.
Tudge Colin. The Bird. Crown Publishers. New York. 2008.
No comments:
Post a Comment