What is an avocet?

An avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) is a wader bird classified in the Recurvirostridae family along with stilts. Distinguished by their distinctive upcurved bills and long slender legs, avocets inhabit marshy wetlands, mudflats, estuaries, and shallow lakes where they hunt for small insects, invertebrates, crustaceans, worms, tadpoles, small fish, and plant matter.