- Where to see one
- 3 U.S. zoos in our directory hold american avocet, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the american avocet
The American avocet is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, found in North America. It measures 40 to 51 cm, with a long black bill that curves slightly upward, long pastel grey-blue legs and black-and-white plumage. In the breeding season the head and neck turn brassy orange. It forages in shallow water or on mud flats, sweeping its bill from side to side to catch crustaceans and insects. It breeds in freshwater to hypersaline wetlands of the western and mid-west United States, and pairs defend their territory together.
American Avocet facts
- Its grey-blue legs earned it the nickname blue shanks.
- In winter it feeds heavily on brine shrimp, switching mainly to brine flies in the breeding season.
- It has three distinct calls, including a distressed screech called the broken wing call.
- Shooting and trapping caused a population decline until the 1900s, and the species disappeared from most of the East Coast of the United States.
Where to see american avocet in the U.S.
3 zoos across 3 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 3 zoos holding american avocet by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
District of Columbia· 1
Illinois· 1
Wisconsin· 1
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
