Pied Avocet

The pied avocet is a wader of coastal lagoons and marshes, easily recognised by its long upturned bill, long legs and black-and-white plumage. It is about 40 cm long with a wingspan of about 70 cm. It feeds on invertebrates in water and on mudflats, caught with its distinctive bill (Wikipedia, general species account).

It usually nests in colonies of 10 to 70 pairs on islets or dikes near water, laying usually four eggs in a shallow sand scrape, and defends its chicks fiercely against rivals and predators. Its range spans western Europe, central Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Africa, and some populations migrate while others stay put.