Pied avocet

Latin Recurvirostra avocetta
Estonian Naaskelnokk

Also known as: black-capped avocet, Eurasian avocet, avocet

Status in Estonia

Breeding bird.

Description

The pied avocet has black and white plumage, a narrow, upwardly curved black beak and long grey-blue legs. Black and white spots are visible while in flight. The male bird has a significantly longer and more curved beak than the female bird. It always has a black and white head, but the female bird’s head pattern is more hazy and brown-tinged. The dark plumage of juveniles is dark brown instead of black, the white areas are mixed with brown or streaked, the legs are dull grey.

Size

Body length 42–46 cm (incl. beak approx. 8 cm + during flight, the legs protrude about 10 cm), wingspan 67–77 cm, body mass 225–400 g.

Similar species

Black-winged stilt.

Distribution

It is locally distributed in temperate zone sea shores in Europe, from Estonia and Southern Scandinavia to the Mediterranean Sea. The species also distributes locally across the Mediterranean Sea; its eastern distribution region includes the Black Sea and Southern Ukraine as well as the northern end of the Caspian Sea from where it extends to Mongolia. It is common in Estonia only on the west coast and the islands of Western Estonia.

Population

Estonia has 150–250 breeding pairs.

Occurrence in Estonia

It arrives in spring during April. Occasionally, it leaves in the first half of July, while others leave around the middle of August. Individual birds have been seen as late as mid-September.

Diet

It feeds primarily on shallow-water invertebrates and aquatic plant seeds.

Habitat

It lives along flat sea shores with far-reaching tide beaches. When choosing a nesting site, it prefers muddy beaches with almost no grass, clay shingle beaches by the sea or floating islands with thin grass.

Nesting

Nests are built directly on the ground but close to the water or on a sedge that sticks out from the water. The female lays 3–4 eggs and both adults incubate them for 23–25 days. The chicks hatch in early June and are normally able to fly by the end of June or early July.

Conservation status and protection

It belongs to the protected animal species of category II. The most serious concern is increasing nest raids. Nests built too close to the floodplain are destroyed as storms increase. The increasing number of reeds in suitable breeding locations also has an effect.

Distribution and population in Lääne County.

The pied avocet is an uncommon breeding bird and spring migratory bird that lives along the coast of Lääne County. In Matsalu National Park, migrating pied avocets can be seen on the Põgari-Sassi beach and Cape Puise. In addition, these waders can be observed in Tagalaht Bay and Tahu Bay in Haapsalu. Pied avocets are best observed in Lääne County from April to June.