Red-necked Avocet
Recurvirostra novaehollandiae· 反嘴鹬科(1 photos)
Red-necked Avocet
40-48 cm. Elegant native wader with unmistakable long, upturned fine black bill, rusty head, white body and black-and-white wings. Legs long, pale blue-grey; feet webbed. Juvenile: duller, pale around bill; brownish buff on wings. Parties, occasional large flocks: wades, swinging bill from side to side, locating shrimps, insects, fish by touch. Swims, upends like a small duck. In flight, note flickering effect of black-tipped white wings with angled black bar on upperwing; legs trail well beyond tail. Flying away, two black bars down white back are diagnostic. Often roosts and feeds with stilts. Demonstrative when nesting.
- Voice
- musical, fluty 'toot toot'.
- Habitat
- estuaries, tidal mudflats; fresh, brackish and salt swamps and lakes; claypans, commercial saltfields, sewage ponds.
- Breeding
- mostly Aug.-Dec. in single pairs, loose colonies.
- Nest
- scrape, with scant lining of sticks, rootlets; often near small bush or on hummock in shallow water.
- Eggs
- 4; dark olive to creamy stone, blotched, spotted black, stained grey.
- Range & Status
- widespread but irregular across s. Aust. from c. NSW coast (Hunter R.) to about Port Hedland (WA); many coastal habitats, e.g. w. Port Phillip Bay (Vic.) visited regularly. Breeding strongholds are s. inland NSW-n. Vic., se. SA and inland s. WA. Regular, mostly uncommon visitor to parts of coastal n. Aust., from n. WA to e. Q. Dispersive and nomadic; moves toward coast in summer (s. Aust.) and in dry season (n. Aust.).Casual ACT. Vagrant Tas.; NZ.
