250 



SET AND DESCRIPTION 



Length, 12-15 ; wing, SJ-Sf ; tail, 3 ; tarsus. If ; culmen, 2J-2|. 

 Eastern Nortii America ; breeding in the Arctic regions, and wintering in 

 South America. 



FAMILY XL. AVOCETS AND STILTS (RECURVm6STRID^) 



This is a small family (11 species) of extremely long-legged, 

 long-necked, slender-billed, wading birds. Their bills are long 

 as ^\e\\ as slender, and have more or less of an upward bend. 

 The Avocets swim with great ease, and are tame birds, gener- 

 ally found in flocks. Their food consists of water-insects, and 

 crustaceans, which they obtain mainly in shallow water, swing- 

 ing the bill from side to side like a man mowing. The Stilts 

 are much like avocets, but have even longer legs, and are not 

 so well fitted for swimming; so, though their food consists of 

 the same kind of insects and crustaceans, they obtain nearly 

 all of it by wading. 



Key to the Species 



* Bill over 3 long, and decidedly curved upward ; the three front toes 



webbed 1. American Avocet. 



* Bill less than 3 long and but slightly curved upward ; only two of the 



toes connected by webbing 2. Black-necked Stilt. 



1. American Avo- 

 cet (225. Becurvird- 

 ><tra americclna). — 

 A very long-legged, 

 slender - billed, al- 

 most white-bodied, 

 wading bird, with 

 dark wings, having 

 large, white bands 

 formed of the coverts 

 and secondaries. The 

 long bill is decidedly 

 curved upward. In 

 summer the head and 

 American Avocet o^ck are cinnamon- 



