THE AVOCET’S WADER NEIGHBOURS
LAPWING
The conservation story of one of our most beautiful waders is the very reverse of the avocet’s. Lapwing numbers and breeding range have declined dramatically since the 1940s.
COMMON REDSHANK
Unmistakeable with bright orange legs and brown body, redshanks love the same mixture of quiet muddy pools and marshy ground.
OYSTERCATCHER
They may be black-and-white like avocets but there is no possibility of confusing the two. These noisy sociable birds are often chased aggressively by parent avocets, anxious to protect their chicks.
RINGED PLOVER
The glorious butterfly song display of this small squat wader is one of the signatures sounds of those places where avocets routinely breed.
DUNLIN
While avocets stride regally with their beaks sweeping through the shallows, this small black-bellied relative probes the mud incessantly like a busy sewing machine.