Pied avocet
Recurvirostra avosetta Linnaeus, 1758
The pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), also called the avocet or Eurasian avocet, is a bird in the family Recurvirostridae and the order Charadriiformes. It is a small bird with an adult body mass of 304 g, ranging from 300.5 to 309.5 g across sources, and a wingspan of 78 cm.
Quick facts about the pied avocet
The pied avocet is a carnivorous aquatic predator of wetland habitats that forages terrestrially and is partially migratory. It lays one clutch per year of 3.7 eggs, incubated for 23.7 days, reaches sexual maturity at 2 years and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
- Weight
- 300.5 g – 309.5 gsrc for Weight
- Length
- 40 cmsrc for Length
- Wingspan
- 78 cmsrc for Wingspan
- Lifespan
- 27.8 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Diet
- Aquatic predatorsrc for Diet
- Longest recorded lifespan
- 27.8 years
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- wetlandsrc for Habitat
- Egg incubation
- 23.7 dayssrc for Egg incubation
- Young per litter or clutch
- 3.5 – 3.7src for Young per litter or clutch
- Age at maturity
- 2 yearssrc for Age at maturity
- Litters or clutches a year
- 1src for Litters or clutches a year
- Reproduction
- Eggssrc for Reproduction
- Lifestyle
- Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
- Migration
- Partialsrc for Migration
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
How big is the pied avocet?
Photos of the pied avocet
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
Where does the pied avocet live?
Not recorded
What is the pied avocet?
The pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) is a species of wader in the Recurvirostridae family, the only member of the avocet genus Recurvirostra found in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
This characteristic wader of coastal lagoons and marshes is easily recognisable by its long, upturned bill, long legs, and striking black-and-white plumage. Measuring approximately 40 cm (16 in) in length with a wingspan of about 70 cm (28 in), it is a relatively large species that feeds on various invertebrates in water and mudflats, captured using its distinctive bill. It typically nests in colonies of 10 to 70 pairs on islets or dikes near water, laying usually four eggs in a simple, shallow scrape in the sand. It is highly territorial when defending its chicks against conspecifics, or predators such as various raptors, corvids, and mammals. The pied avocet has a lifespan of about 20 years, with a record of 36 years.
The species has a wide distribution, spanning western Europe, central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Africa. Part of its population is migratory, undertaking long journeys south to its wintering grounds, while others are resident. In France, it is found along the English Channel, Atlantic coast, and Mediterranean, with northern populations joining in winter, while some individuals winter in Southern Europe or Africa.
Described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, the pied avocet is one of four species in its genus, the others inhabiting different continents. Classified as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN due to its extensive range and relatively large population, it nonetheless faces threats from anthropogenic factors such as habitat destruction, climate change, and pollution. Numerous scientific programs aim to better understand its biology, particularly its migratory routes, to enhance its protection.
From the Wikipedia article “Pied avocet” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pied_avocet&oldid=1374096719), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the pied avocet endangered?
The pied avocet is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the pied avocet classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classAves
- orderCharadriiformes
- familyRecurvirostridae
- genusRecurvirostra
- SpeciesRecurvirostra avosetta Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms Avocetta europaea, Avosetta atricapilla, Recurvirostra avocetta, Recurvirostra fissipes, Recurvirostra helebi
Other names and names in other languages (114)
- AvocetEnglish
- Eurasian avocetEnglish
- PIAVEnglish
- BontelsieAfrikaans
- النكاتArabic
- نكات أبقعArabic
- نكات ابقعArabic
- نكات العالم القديمArabic
- BizdimdikAzerbaijani
- Беҙ суҡышBashkir
- SaawéschnowlerBavarian
- ШыладзюбBelarusian
- ШыладзюбкаBelarusian
- СаблеклюнBulgarian
- উল্টোঠুঁটিBangla
- Avosetenn vistrBreton
- Bec d'alenaCatalan
- bec d'alena comúCatalan
- tenkozobec opačnýCzech
- CambigWelsh
- klydeDanish
- SäbelschnäblerGerman
- ΑβοκέταGreek
- Ευρωπαϊκή ΑβοκέταGreek
- ordinara avocetoEsperanto
- Blanknigra avocetoEsperanto
- AvocetaSpanish
- Avoceta comúnSpanish
- naaskelnokkEstonian
- AbozetaBasque
- آووستPersian
- avosettiFinnish
- NevfattiFaroese
- Avocette éléganteFrench
- Avocette à nuque noireFrench
- Avocette à tête noireFrench
- SütjerNorthern Frisian
- KlútWestern Frisian
- Abhóiséad breacIrish
- abhóiséadScottish Gaelic
- ceàrra-ghobScottish Gaelic
- ceàrra-ghuibScottish Gaelic
- Gob cearrScottish Gaelic
- Gob ceàrrScottish Gaelic
- gob-ceàrrScottish Gaelic
- guib-cheàrrScottish Gaelic
- Gob kiareManx
- סיפןHebrew
- סייפןHebrew
- סייפן עקודHebrew
- סיפן עקודHebrew
- modronoga sabljarkaCroatian
- gulipánHungarian
- ԲզակտուցArmenian
- BjúgnefjaIcelandic
- avocettaItalian
- ソリハシセイタカシギJapanese
- სადგისნისკარტაGeorgian
- ПсыкъуакъоKabardian
- БізтұмсықKazakh
- 뒷부리장다리물떼새Korean
- Gelvyn menowesCornish
- SäwelschniewelLuxembourgish
- avocetėLithuanian
- paprastoji avocetėLithuanian
- avozetaLatvian
- BilavavaMalagasy
- сабјаркаMacedonian
- ആവോസെറ്റ്Malayalam
- XifaMaltese
- Ээтэн / ᠠᠯᠠᠭ ᠡᠭᠡᠲᠡᠨMongolian
- उचाट्याMarathi
- kluutDutch
- AvosettNorwegian
- ClépePicard
- szablodzióbPolish
- szablodziób (zwyczajny)Polish
- پائڈ ایوسٹWestern Panjabi
- alfaiatePortuguese
- alfaiate-comumPortuguese
- Gambun grondRomansh
- CiocîntorsRomanian
- ciocântorsulRomanian
- шилоклювкаRussian
- AvoseahttaNorthern Sami
- bonjusáitiNorthern Sami
- šabliarka modronoháSlovak
- sabljarkaSlovenian
- koranaAlbanian
- sqepbizaAlbanian
- sqepshpata këmbëkaltërAlbanian
- sabljarka / СабљаркаSerbian
- СабљаркаSerbian
- FilippaSardinian
- skärfläckaSwedish
- Msese domojuuSwahili
- கோணமூக்கு உள்ளான்Tamil
- Pavazha kaal ullanTamil
- นกปากงอนThai
- kilicgagaTurkish
- Bayağı KılıçgagaTurkish
- kılıç gagaTurkish
- Шивегей-думчук кушTuvinian
- ЧоботарUkrainian
- ШилодзьобкаUkrainian
- чоботар синьоногийUkrainian
- Cà kheo mỏ congVietnamese
- אָל־שנאָבלער אַװאָצעטאַYiddish
- 反嘴鹬Chinese
- 反嘴長腳鷸Chinese
- 反嘴高腳鷸Chinese
- 反嘴鴴Chinese
- 反嘴鴴〔斑反嘴長腳鷸〕Chinese
- 反嘴鷸Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List
Relatives of the pied avocet
Other species in the same genus Recurvirostra.
American avocet
Recurvirostra americana
Andean avocet
Recurvirostra andina
Red-necked avocet
Recurvirostra novaehollandiae
ComparePied avocet vs American avocetPied avocet vs Andean avocetPied avocet vs Red-necked avocet
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the pied avocet?
The pied avocet is a bird in the family Recurvirostridae, within the order Charadriiformes.
How heavy is the pied avocet?
An adult pied avocet weighs 304 g, with sources reporting from 300.5 to 309.5 g. Its wingspan is 78 cm.
What does the pied avocet eat?
The pied avocet is a carnivore classed as an aquatic predator.
Is the pied avocet endangered?
No. The pied avocet is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.
How long does the pied avocet live?
The pied avocet has a lifespan of up to 27.83 years according to our sources.
How many eggs does the pied avocet lay?
The pied avocet lays 3.7 eggs per clutch and one clutch per year, with an incubation period of 23.7 days.
Does the pied avocet migrate?
Yes, the pied avocet is partially migratory.
Who named the pied avocet?
The pied avocet was named Recurvirostra avosetta by Linnaeus, 1758.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles · CC0 1.0 · E096-269
Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1 - AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds · CC BY 4.0 · v7
Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
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Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/pied-avocet
“Pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/pied-avocet.
@misc{pied_avocet_2026,
title = {Pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/pied-avocet},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}