Listen to the American avocet
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the American avocet
The American avocet is a bird in the family Recurvirostridae (order Charadriiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 68 cm and weigh around 316 g.
What does the American avocet sound like?
Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once. Songs tend to be long and patterned and are used to hold territory and attract a mate; calls are short signals for contact, alarm and flight.
The recordings here are labelled as alarm call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The American avocet (Recurvirostra americana) is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae, found in North America. It spends much of its time foraging in shallow water or on mud flats, often sweeping its bill from side to side in water as it seeks crustacean and insect prey.
Related birds in the genus Recurvirostra
More from the family Recurvirostridae
Frequently asked questions
What does an American avocet sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the American avocet on this page, including its alarm call. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the American avocet endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the American avocet as “least concern”.
What family does the American avocet belong to?
The American avocet (Recurvirostra americana) belongs to the family Recurvirostridae in the order Charadriiformes.
Sources & credits
- Alarm call · Palo Alto Baylands, Santa Clara, CA by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Alarm call · Palo Alto Baylands, Santa Clara, California, United States by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q469992 – CC0
- Wikipedia: American avocet – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Don DeBold – CC BY-SA 2.0