Avocet Diet and Size: Feeding Habits, Predators, and Measurements
The avocet was once extinct in the UK but due to the coastal areas being closed during the second world war, they began breeding here again. Today, there are an estimated 450 to 500 breeding pairs in the UK with twice as many if not more coming from mainland Europe to over winter.
In this article we’ll be looking at the dietary habits of avocets as well as their size,weight and any predators that threaten the avocet population.
Keep reading to find out more.
Table of Contents
The Dietary Habits Of The Avocet
Let’s start by looking at the dietary habits of the avocet.
What Does An Avocet Eat?
Avocets feed by swinging their bill underwater along the bottom to stir up aquatic insects. Their diet primarily consists of aquatic insects, worms and small crustaceans and other invertebrates.
They are also known to eat other small aquatic animals and plant life.
What To Feed A Baby Avocet?
It is always best to allow the parents to feed baby avocets but if they have abandoned the nest and you find an orphaned chick, as they are precocial, it will pretty much be able to fend for itself. As long as it is protected from any predators.
You could try to feed it small pieces of crustacean or small worms etc, but you should always make sure that it has definitely been abandoned by its parents. This is because they could both be out looking for food.
Breeding Habits Of Avocets
Now let’s look at the breeding habits of the avocet. When avocets find a breeding partner they both go in search of a perfect nest site. Which is typically open ground on low muddy islands or shingle and sometimes in short grassy areas.
They make a scrape nest which the female will investigate and often reject, opting to make another one in a different location. Once they have agreed on a nest site (typically in a colony with other members of the same species) the female will lay 3 to 5 eggs.
Both parents will incubate the eggs which hatch around 3 to 4 weeks later. The chicks are precocial which means they are hatched with their eyes open and covered in down.
The chicks can walk and swim almost straight away and start swimming and foraging for food after a few days. They stay with their parents for around 33 to 40 days before fledging.
Do Avocets Mate For Life?
Avocets mate for a season, not for life. They reach sexual maturity at around 2 years of age and have an average lifespan of around 6 to 7 years.
The following year both birds will typically mate with different partners and stay together for just that season.
The Size & Weight Of Avocets
Now let’s look at the size and weight of an average avocet. Visually, the avocet looks similar to the greenshank. However, avocets are taller and have a white patch on their wings and a longer upturned bill.
How Much Does An Avocet Weigh?
The average weight of an avocet is anywhere between 255 to 290 g which is roughly the same weight as a packet of butter (250 g).
How Big Is An Avocet?
Adult avocets are around 41 to 45 cm in length and have a wingspan of around 76 to 80 cm. They stand around 40 to 50 cm tall on their long blue/grey legs.
Are Avocets Under Threat?
Unlike many other birds in the UK, avocets are actually thriving. However, they are protected in the UK under Schedule 1 which means they have extra protection in place during the breeding season.
This protection extends to avocets, their nests, eggs and dependent young. Unfortunately this protection cannot stop other animal predators from taking birds, eggs or chicks.
What Eats An Avocet?
As avocets are quite a large bird, they don’t have as much trouble from predators as other bird species do. They can be very aggressive if intruders are found wandering too close to their nesting grounds which also helps.
Having said that, avocet eggs and chicks are often preyed upon by cats, dogs, foxes, stoats and weasels.
Where can I see Avocets in the UK?
In recent years, as the avocet population has increased, you can see them in many places in the UK. Including;
- Essex
- Suffolk
- Norfolk
- Cambridgeshire
- Sussex
- Worcestershire
- Lancashire
- Lincolnshire
- Yorkshire
- Rutland
- Hampshire
They can be seen in varying numbers all through the year from January to December with increased numbers during the winter months coming in from Europe.
SEE ALSO: Arctic Skua Vs Great Skua: Key Differences Explained
Frequently Asked Questions
The main predators of avocets include; dogs, cats, foxes, weasels and stoats.
Avocets are protected in the UK under Schedule 1 which makes it an offence to disturb them, their nests, eggs or chicks.
Avocets are thriving in the UK with an estimated 450 to 500 breeding pairs. Their numbers swell during the winter months to around 1300 pairs.
