Friday's Foto

Sticking with my recent, seasonally appropriate, shorebird theme, here is an American Avocet. This bird would fall under Jack Connor's "Instantly Identifiable" shorebird category. One shouldn't be surprised that the meaning of this large shorebird's genus, Recurvirostra, means "bent backwards". Avocets feed by sweeping their long "bent backwards" bill along the surface of the water stirring up insects and crustaceans. They will also eat seeds and small fish. Large population declines in the 19th and early 20th century were due to overhunting. Draining of freshwater wetlands for development also negatively impacted historic populations. Currently the IUCN Red List assesses the species as "Least Concern" due to its extremely large range and stable population. Avocet chicks are "precocious" and leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching.