Avocets have staged a remarkable recovery in the UK, returning after 100 years of extinction, but estuarine habitats face ongoing threats from sea level rise, development, and disturbance.
Key Facts
Avocets were extinct as UK breeding birds until their return in 1947 to Suffolk
Populations grew from 4 breeding pairs to over 2,000 by 2020
Avocets feed by sweeping their distinctive upturned bill through shallow water for invertebrates
Estuarine habitat loss from coastal squeeze is an increasing threat with sea level rise
Dogs disturbing wader colonies at breeding sites cause nest abandonment
Welfare Considerations
Avocet welfare depends on undisturbed estuarine habitat with abundant invertebrate prey. Coastal squeeze from sea level rise threatens the habitat foundation of this conservation success.
What You Can Do
Support managed retreat coastal policies that create new intertidal habitat
Keep dogs on leads near estuarine nesting sites during the breeding season
Donate to RSPB and Wildlife Trusts managing avocet breeding reserves
Celebrate avocet recovery as an example of what habitat protection achieves