Recurvirostridae – Stilts & avocets
Medium-sized birds who are always ready for any formal occasion with their tuxedo-like plumage
A group of long-legged wading birds with a long beaks that can fly quickly and swim effectively. Most of them live near water, and many have webbed feet, at least partly. Males and females have black and white plumage that is more or less comparable. The birds eat invertebrates, fish, frogs, and some plant material.
Some authors classify the family as Charadriiformes, while others classify it as Scolopacidae. Except in extreme northern latitudes, there are 13 species present in most regions of the world.
This family’s members, except the ibisbill and the black stilt, are gregarious and forage in flocks of thousands of birds. Although some recurvirostrids forage at night, especially in coastal locations where feeding activity may follow tide cycles, recurvirostrids mostly eat during the day.
Genera in this family
The thin needle-like bill is supported by solid head muscles allowing quick jaw movements to grip prey firmly
The thin, long, and upcurved bill makes these avocets species unique and easily recognizable