The avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) — with its distinctive upturned bill and pied plumage — is the flagship species of the RSPB, symbolising British conservation success. Extinct as a breeding bird by the 1840s, avocets re-colonised naturally in 1947 and now breed at over 100 sites across Britain.
Avocets are elegant, specialised waders feeding by sweeping their upturned bill through shallow water to catch invertebrates — particularly chironomid midge larvae, small crustaceans, and worms. They breed colonially on shallow saline or brackish lagoons with sparse low vegetation, nesting on small islands or spits. Both parents share incubation and vigorously defend territories and chicks from predators, performing distraction displays and mobbing larger birds including avocets in adjacent territories.
Avocets returned to breed at Minsmere (Suffolk) and Havergate Island in 1947 through a combination of flooding of wartime sea defences and habitat creation. Targeted habitat management — maintaining water levels in saline lagoons, controlling vegetation and providing optimal nesting substrate — has expanded breeding habitat. The UK population has grown from a handful of pairs to approximately 2,000 breeding pairs today.
Avocet breeding success depends on: appropriate water salinity (brackish preferred, avoids fresh water), correct water level (10–30cm optimal for feeding and nest security), bare or sparsely vegetated nesting areas, low disturbance, and effective predator management. Many avocet breeding sites are nature reserves actively managed by RSPB and Wildlife Trusts, which maintains the habitat quality that supporting breeding success requires.
Predation: Foxes, stoats, otters, and American mink predate avocet nests and chicks. Electric fence protection and active predator management are used at key breeding sites. Avian predators including marsh harriers and herring gulls take eggs and chicks despite avocet mobbing behaviour.
Water level management: Drought reducing lagoon water levels exposes nests to predators; flooding from heavy rainfall submerges nests. Water level management through sluice control is a practical welfare intervention at managed reserves.
Disturbance: Avocets are sensitive to disturbance — flushing from nests exposes eggs to temperature extremes and predation. Managed viewing facilities (hides, maintained pathways keeping visitors at distance) allow public enjoyment without welfare costs.
Wintering welfare: UK avocets winter primarily on south and west coast estuaries and can be affected by severe cold weather. The Exe Estuary and Tamar hold major winter flocks. Oil spills on wintering estuaries represent acute welfare risk to concentrations of avocets and other waders.
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