avocet

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Related to Avocets: Recurvirostra, pied avocets

av·o·cet

 (ăv′ə-sĕt′)
n.
Any of several long-legged shorebirds of the genus Recurvirostra, characterized by a long, slender, upturned beak.
[French avocette, from New Latin avocetta, misspelling of avosetta, from Italian, from Venetian, probably from Vulgar Latin *avis sitta : Latin avis, bird; see awi- in Indo-European roots + Greek sittē, a kind of woodpecker or nuthatch (probably of onomatopoeic origin and imitative of the bird's sound).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

avocet

(ˈævəˌsɛt)
n
(Animals) any of several long-legged shore birds of the genus Recurvirostra, such as the European R. avosetta, having black-and-white plumage and a long upward-curving bill: family Recurvirostridae, order Charadriiformes
[C18: from French avocette, from Italian avocetta, of uncertain origin]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

av•o•cet

(ˈæv əˌsɛt)

n.
any of several long-legged shorebirds of the genus Recurvirostra, of both the Old and New Worlds, having a long, slender, upward-curving bill.
[1760–70; < French avocette, probably erroneous sp. for New Latin avosetta < Italian < Venetian]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.avocet - long-legged web-footed black-and-white shorebird with slender upward-curving billavocet - long-legged web-footed black-and-white shorebird with slender upward-curving bill
limicoline bird, shore bird, shorebird - any of numerous wading birds that frequent mostly seashores and estuaries
genus Recurvirostra, Recurvirostra - type genus of the Recurvirostridae: avocets
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
Säbelschnäbler
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References in periodicals archive ?
Avocets can usually be seen in good numbers at Saltholme at the moment and if you are very lucky you might spot a couple of chicks.
GO WILDWITH ERIC PAYLOR
The emblem of the RSPB, avocets returned to their Minsmere reserve in Suffolk in 1947, after an absence of more than 100 years, and have gradually advanced north.
Black and white army returns to its Wearside base
The emblem of the RSPB, avocets returned to the RSPB's Minsmere reserve in Suffolk in 1947 after an absence of more than 100 years, and have gradually advanced north.
Wade to go; record numbers of once-rare bird seen
However they could be overtaken at the summit by either Unicorn Avocets or Halesome Hares.
Draycott Dinosaurs are the early pacesetters in Division One as new table tennis season takes shape; TABLE TENNIS
Then the avocets and killdeer, avocets also adopting
Balkanization
A bird watcher surnamed Huang told the Liberty Times that after three days waiting at the scene, she spotted 16 pied avocets migrate to Yilan to spend the winter, which is the largest number she has ever seen.
Large number of pied avocets visit bird watching hot-spot in Northern Taiwan
Chris Packham (below), Michaela Strachan and Martin Hughes-Games are back at RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk as they return with the programme that follows the fortunes of wildlife around the UK, getting to know the badgers, otters, marsh harriers, avocets and other animals that live around the nature reserve.
BEST OF THE BOX
Avocets returned to the RSPB's Minsmere reserve in Suffolk in 1947, after an absence of more than 100 years, and numbers have continued to grow across the UK.
Rare avocet bird brought back from UK extinction thrives at Washington; Washington and Northumberland are now nesting sites for the avocet which has become a symbol for conservation success
Now, I don't know what avocets are but it's got Chris Packham worried - and if Packham's worried, I'm worried.
MR BADGER ON THE RAMPAGE
By way of example, Packham explains the behaviour of avocets, a wading bird who nests on the ground near black headed gulls - because the gulls chase the predators away.
Springing more wildlife drama; Nature's soap opera gears up for another season
The two most-abundant breeding shorebirds in San Francisco Bay are American avocets (Recurvirostra americana) hereafter avocets) and black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus; hereafter stilts; Stenzel et al., 2002; Rintoul et al., 2003).
Identifying nest predators of American avocets (Recurvirostra americana) and black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) in San Francisco Bay, California
Two avocets - a graceful black-and-white waterbird which is the famous emblem of the RSPB - appeared at the reserve in Llandudno Junction on Saturday, April 18 and have been seen by hundreds of visitors to the site.
Hopes rare avocets will breed

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