American Avocet - Recurvirostra amaricana

I traveled down to First Beach in Newport, Rhode Island to observe the Avocets.  I have observed and photographed the avocets on the West Coast, in Florida, and this spring in Delaware.

.  Checking with reported sightings in southeastern Massachusetts and coastal Rhode Island on e-bird for the last 20 years, the only listed sightings have been this fall.  At the present time, there have been 5 avocets present at First Beach on the Easton's Beach end for over 2 weeks.  The avocets are pretty tame and will walk right by you. 

They are entering their winter plumage, which takes their buffy cinnamon head and necks to a grayish white.  They work their surf to find crustaceans and invertebrates to eat.

The American avocets breeds in the far West from Washington and Saskatchewan South of California and Texas.  The avocets that I saw in Delaware, at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, were copulating, so they probably breed in the area.

If you have never seen an American Avocet and you are in the area.  I would recommend a trip down to First Beach in Newport, Rhode Island to observe these fascinating birds

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