THE MANX SHEARWATER 



CHAPTER II 



The Birds of the North Atlantic 



Avocet. 



The birds frequenting the coasts of the North Atlantic are so numerous that a 

 mere list of the species would occupy several pages. Many have been referred to 

 in earlier chapters, and only a few of importance remain to be mentioned. 



Among the waders of the coast, one of the most noteworthy is 

 the avocet (Recurvirostra avocetta), conspicuous on account of its pied 

 plumage, stilt-like legs, and long, thin, up-turned beak. Wherever common, 

 this bird nests in colonies, and the limits of its range include the British Isles 

 (where it is now but an occasional visitor), Scandinavia, Mongolia, Hainan, Ceylon, 

 South Africa, and Spain. The nest is a mere depression in the sand or mud, or a 

 hollow in the grass near the shore, and the pear-shaped eggs are four in number, 

 as is usual with the birds of this group. The young birds are fully feathered in a 

 few weeks, although they are taken about and fed by their parents for a long time. 

 Avocets feed at the water's edge, following the ebbing tide to the shallows, and 

 returning with the flood. Their food consists mainly of fish-spawn, shell-fish, 

 young shrimps, and larvae, which are caught by searching the mud of the pools 

 with a sideways motion of the beak, and sifting it between the two jaws. On the 

 wing an avocet holds its long legs stretched out behind in a line with the beak, 

 while the wings curve away from the body in a characteristic manner. 



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