Andean Avocet Recurvirostra andina Scientific name definitions

The Andean Avocet is a strikingly patterned shorebird found in the high Andes of Peru, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia.  The species breeds around alkaline lakes and feeds on invertebrates on mudflats and shallow water. Andean Avocets have white heads, necks, and underparts, with dark brown backs and wings, and gray legs.  They are semi-colonial breeders and might move to lower elevations in the post-breeding season, but seasonal movements are poorly known.

43–48 cm; 315–410 g; tarsus 77–84 mm. Compact, heavy-bodied avocet , with relatively short legs compared to other members of family; stilt-like in plumage, but with typical avocet bill ; differs from all other avocets in having orange iris and yellow eyering; head , neck, upper mantle, rump and underparts white, often stained ferruginous below; rest of mantle and wings blackish to very dark brown; bill black ; long legs blue-grey . No sexual differences in plumage known . Juvenile has inconspicuous rusty feather edges on upperparts, but these soon wear off.

C Peru (Junín) S through W Bolivia to N Chile (Atacama (1 BirdLife International (2013). IUCN Red List for birds. URL: http://www.birdlife.org (download Aug 2013). Close ) ) and NW Argentina (Catamarca).

Breeds at high altitudes, typically above 3100 m (but to 2500 m in Chile) (2 Jaramillo, A. (2003). A Field Guide to the Birds of Chile Including the Antarctic Peninsula, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), typically in puna zone of Andes; generally occupies saline and alkaline lakes ; also marshes, where occurs only in rather open parts, often on exposed alkaline flats; also seasonally flooded alkaline meadows; sometimes in and around small pools. Occasionally found on other wetlands , including even tidal flats along coast outside breeding season.

Little known. Probably mainly sedentary. Some altitudinal movement to lower altitudes recorded in Apr–Jul, and species very rarely wanders to coastal or lowland areas of N Chile and C & S Peru (Mar–Sept) (3 Hayman, P., J. Marchant, and T. Prater (1986). Shorebirds. An Identification Guide to the Waders of the World. Croom Helm, London, UK. Close ), but in Jul still recorded up to 5000 m. Sometimes mentioned for Paraguay, but this appears erroneous (4 Smith, P. and Ríos Díaz, S.D. (2014). Comments on supposed occurrence of Andean Avocet and American Oystercatcher in Paraguay. Dutch Birding. 36(1): 26–29. Close ).

Little known. Apparently feeds on free-swimming invertebrates. Forages by scything in shallow water; sometimes swims and upends like other avocets. Often feeds in association with Chilean Flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis).

Considered similar to those of other avocets, with the most typical vocalization being a bisyllabic, barking “kluut-kluut” or more liquid, ascending and nasal “kwip...kwip...kwip...” (2 Jaramillo, A. (2003). A Field Guide to the Birds of Chile Including the Antarctic Peninsula, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) that is repeated more rapidly in alarm (3 Hayman, P., J. Marchant, and T. Prater (1986). Shorebirds. An Identification Guide to the Waders of the World. Croom Helm, London, UK. Close ). Also recorded are low grunts (5 Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, D. F. Lane, J. P. O’Neill, and T. A. Parker (2007). Birds of Peru. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ).

Little known. Apparently breeds in local “summer”, but timing of breeding may depend on local rainfall; eggs recorded in Sept and Oct, Jan and Feb, possibly representing two seasons per year, a practice which is regular for sympatric Himantopus himantopus. Nest a pad of vegetable matter 20 cm wide externally, 12 cm internally and 2 cm deep (6 Salvador, S.A. (1992). Notas sobre nidificación de aves andinas en la Argentina. Parte II. Hornero. 13(3): 242–244. Close ). Usually four eggs (occasionally three), pale brown with blackish and purple markings, size 46·6–53 mm × 35·4–37·9 mm (7 de la Peña, M. R. (1992). Guía de Aves Argentinas. Volume 2. Second edition. Falconiformes-Charadriiformes. Literature of Latin America, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Close , 6 Salvador, S.A. (1992). Notas sobre nidificación de aves andinas en la Argentina. Parte II. Hornero. 13(3): 242–244. Close ); chick greyish white above with dark spotting, white below . No further information available.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Status very poorly known and no overall estimate of population, but species considered to be generally sparse; small parties of 15–20 birds may be regular. Population in C & SC Peru rather disjunct and isolated in Junín and Ayacucho. Massive desiccation of L Poopó, WC Bolivia, could represent serious loss of habitat, although species persists in small pools along dried-up margins. Reported at several new localities in NW Argentina in recent years (8 Navas, J. R., and Camperi, A. R. (2006). Discoveries and Comments on the Distribution of Some Species of Birds from Northwest Argentina. II. Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, n.s. 8(1):105–109. (In Spanish with English summary). Close ). Suitable habitat still fairly extensive; not known to suffer serious hunting pressure.