:2 94 



NEW YORK STATE .MUSEUM 



There are four or five species of avocets inhabiting the temperate 

 regions, only one of which reaches North America. The}' are well adapted 

 to wading and swimming, and when they get be}'ond their depth in water, 

 continue on their cotirse as if nothing had happened, in this respect being 

 unlike all members of the order, with the exception of the phalaropes. 



Recurvirostra americana Gmelin 

 Aiiicn'ca)! Avocct 



Recurvirostra americana Gmelin. 



DeKav. 



Syst. Nat. 17SS. Ed. i. 2: 693 

 Zool. N. Y. pt 2, p. 266, fig. 227, 229 



A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 2. 1895. No. 2: 



reciirviro'stra, Lat. recnrvus, bent back or upward; rostrum, bill; americd'na, 



American 



Description. Breeding plumage: Head and neck pale reddish brown 

 or cinnamon fading to white below; back, lesser coverts and primaries 



l;)lack; rest of plumage white. In 

 ivintcr and inimaiurc: Similar, 

 but head and neck white or gray- 

 ish white. Bill recurved or bent 

 upward, blackish; legs bluish; 

 eyes dark. 



Length 15. 5- 18 inches; ex- 

 tent 28-31; wing 8.75-10; tail 

 3-5 '> Ml 3-75; tansus 3.75. 



The American avocet, or 

 Bluestocking, was fomierly an 

 occasional visitor to the shores 

 of Long Island and the Great 

 Lakes, but now is purely acci- 

 dental or entirely absent. The 

 last authentic specimens from 

 the State were obtained about 

 50 vears ago on Long Island. 

 Specimens from this localit}- 

 without definite data are fotuid 



American avocet. Recurvirostra amer ic ana flmelin. From • f 'Uq Cfo fp lVri-icpii-|-v-. fVip AmPri- 

 specimen in St.ite Musaum. 1 nat. size lU inC OLaiC iViUbeUUl, HiC rUllCi 1 



