American Avocet

Recurvirostra americana Gmelin, JF, 1789

Recurvirostridae — Stilts, Avocets

American Avocet Recurvirostra americana is a bird of North America and Middle America, breeding from south-east British Columbia and south-west Ontario through California, Texas and northern Baja California to central Mexico. Outside the breeding season it occurs from the southern and south-eastern USA to southern Mexico. It belongs to the family Recurvirostridae in the order Charadriiformes. It is a wader with a long, slightly upturned bill, long slender legs and slightly webbed feet. Its breeding grounds include marshes, beaches, prairie ponds and shallow lakes, and it also uses freshwater to hypersaline wetlands.

Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Recurvirostridae — Stilts, Avocets
Breeding range
North America, Middle America: se British Columbia to sw Ontario (sc Canada) to California, Texas (w, sc USA) and n Baja California (nw Mexico) to c Mexico
Nonbreeding range
s, se USA to s Mexico
American Avocet
© Mike's Birds from Riverside, CA, US · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

26 tours in Canada 22, United States 4

Private Diamond Fork Canyon Birding with FeatherQuest
Private Diamond Fork Canyon Birding with FeatherQuest
United States / Spanish Fork Private tour

Explore Diamond Fork Canyon on a private birding route linking riverside habitat, open country, forest pockets, marsh edges and red rock slo...

From USD 350
Lake Hodges Bird and Wildlife Photography Tour
Lake Hodges Bird and Wildlife Photography Tour
United States / Escondido

A customized Lake Hodges photography session by low-to-water boat or from shore, guided by local bird photographer Brian Caldwell....

New Jersey Guided Birdwatching Excursion with Marc Chelemer
New Jersey Guided Birdwatching Excursion with Marc Chelemer
United States / New Jersey Private tour 4h

Private half-day or full-day birdwatching in New Jersey with Marc Chelemer, tailored to beginners, visiting birders, photographers or specif...

From USD 150
Private San Joaquin Valley Birding Day
Private San Joaquin Valley Birding Day
United States / Fresno Private tour 1 day

A flexible private search for San Joaquin Valley specialties in wetlands, grasslands, farmland and riparian corridors....

From USD 375
Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12-29, 2027
Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12-29, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 18 days

An 18-day self-drive grand tour across southern Saskatchewan, linking boreal forest, major lakes, prairie parks and river valleys during the...

From CAD 15,900
Canada – Saskatchewan Spring Birding Grand Tour: May 11–17, 2027
Canada – Saskatchewan Spring Birding Grand Tour: May 11–17, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 7 days

A seven-day self-drive spring journey from Saskatoon through Saskatchewan wetlands, prairie and grassland parks during the migration and bre...

From CAD 5,850
Signs of Spring Birding Tour: 2 great options
Signs of Spring Birding Tour: 2 great options
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3h

A three-hour self-drive birding tour on back roads near Saskatoon, following the changing arrival of prairie birds through spring....

From CAD 75
Van Scoy Lakes Birding Tour – 6 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Van Scoy Lakes Birding Tour – 6 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6h

A six-hour self-drive circuit west of Saskatoon through prairie, ponds, Eagle Creek and the Van Scoy Lakes for waterbirds and shorebirds....

From CAD 440
Best Birding Hotspots of SE Saskatchewan Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada: 2027
Best Birding Hotspots of SE Saskatchewan Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada: 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 4 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 1,490
Saskatoon Shorebirds – Great Short Driving Tour in 2026
Saskatoon Shorebirds – Great Short Driving Tour in 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3h

A private three- or four-hour self-drive tour of wetlands near Saskatoon, timed for seasonal shorebirds and other waterbirds....

From CAD 190
Redberry Lake Bird Sanctuary Tour – 8 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Redberry Lake Bird Sanctuary Tour – 8 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8h

An eight-hour self-drive tour from Saskatoon to Redberry Lake Bird Sanctuary, exploring prairie, woodland, ponds, marshes and saline-lake sh...

From CAD 590
Radisson Lake Birding Tour – 4 great hours with water and grassland birds
Radisson Lake Birding Tour – 4 great hours with water and grassland birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 4h

A private four-hour self-drive tour around Radisson Lake Important Bird Area, combining open-water, shorebird, grassland and aspen habitat....

From CAD 340
Porter Lake Birding Tour – 3 great hours with water birds
Porter Lake Birding Tour – 3 great hours with water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3h

A three-hour self-drive tour around Porter Lake, east of Saskatoon, focused on lakeshore waterbirds and seasonal shorebird movements....

From CAD 150
Great Sand Hills Birdwatching Tour from Saskatoon, Kindersley or Leader – 3 new options
Great Sand Hills Birdwatching Tour from Saskatoon, Kindersley or Leader – 3 new options
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2 days

A private two- or three-day self-drive birding tour through the Great Sand Hills, South Saskatchewan River valley and, on the longer option,...

From CAD 1,290
Grasslands National Park Birding Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Swift Current – Best Prairie Birds 2026
Grasslands National Park Birding Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Swift Current – Best Prairie Birds 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3 days

A private three-day self-drive journey from Saskatoon into Grasslands National Park and southern Saskatchewan’s prairie and shorebird coun...

From CAD 2,190
Cypress Hills Tours from Saskatoon and Maple Creek: 3 options for birding Saskatchewan’s great southwest
Cypress Hills Tours from Saskatoon and Maple Creek: 3 options for birding Saskatchewan’s great southwest
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 4,980
Canada – Saskatchewan Autumn Birding Grand Tour: September 9 – 18, 2026
Canada – Saskatchewan Autumn Birding Grand Tour: September 9 – 18, 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 10 days

A ten-day Saskatchewan migration tour combining Saskatoon-area wetlands and parks with Prince Albert National Park and Last Mountain Lake....

From CAD 3,650
Canada – Saskatchewan Late-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 24 – 29, 2026
Canada – Saskatchewan Late-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 24 – 29, 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6 days

A six-day late-summer Saskatchewan birding circuit timed for early migration, with wetlands, prairie and Saskatoon-area parks on the route....

From CAD 1,850
Canada – Saskatchewan Mid-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 3–10, 2027
Canada – Saskatchewan Mid-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 3–10, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8 days

An eight-day self-drive tour linking Saskatchewan wetlands, prairie, river valleys and the Great Sand Hills as young birds and early migrant...

From CAD 4,750
Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12 – 26, 2026
Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12 – 26, 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 15 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 50
Canada – Southwest Saskatchewan Birding Tour: July 9–16, 2027
Canada – Southwest Saskatchewan Birding Tour: July 9–16, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8 days

An eight-day self-drive route through southwest Saskatchewan, combining major shorebird lakes, Cypress Hills, open prairie and Grasslands Na...

From CAD 5,580
Chaplin Shorebirds 2026 – Great Birding and Bird Photography Day Tour from Regina, Moose Jaw, Swift Current or Saskatoon
Chaplin Shorebirds 2026 – Great Birding and Bird Photography Day Tour from Regina, Moose Jaw, Swift Current or Saskatoon
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 1 day

A private full-day self-drive tour from Saskatoon to the saline lakes around Chaplin, focused on seasonal shorebird migration and photograph...

From CAD 890
Chappell Marsh Birding and Hiking Tour
Chappell Marsh Birding and Hiking Tour
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2h

A two-hour guided hike across Chappell Marsh’s level prairie trails, combining wetland birds, grassland songbirds and seasonal wildflowers...

From CAD 130
Duck Lake and Nisbet Forest Birding Tour – 6 great hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Duck Lake and Nisbet Forest Birding Tour – 6 great hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6h

A six-hour self-drive birding circuit north of Saskatoon, combining farmland and Duck Lake wetlands with roadside stops in Nisbet Forest....

From CAD 490
Best Birding Hotspots of Souris River 2026 Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada
Best Birding Hotspots of Souris River 2026 Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 1,990
Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary Tour with 2 great options from Saskatoon or Regina
Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary Tour with 2 great options from Saskatoon or Regina
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 1 day

A 1-day Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary outing from Saskatoon or Regina, focused on wetland, shorebird and prairie birding in one of Saska...

From CAD 790