Recurvirostra avosetta

The Pied Avocet is considered as Regionally Extinct (RE). It became extinct in the early 2000s and since then no nesting attempts have been observed in Israel, although avocets are seen during migration and in the winter. In the previous edition of the Red Book (2002), it was classified as Near Threatened (NT), because of the nesting attempts in the early 2000s. (Because of its sporadic, irregular breeding in Israel and being at the edge of its global range, it was not considered Critically Endangered.)

Habitats	Salt Ponds, Wetlands with Shallow Banks
Presence In Israel	Summer
Breeding In Israel	Bred in the past
Migration Types	Short Range / Partial
Zoographical Zones	Mediterranean
Landscape Types	Wetlands, Fresh Water, Salt Ponds, Mud Plain
Vegetation Densities	Low
Nest Locations	Ground
Diet Types	Invertebrate
Foraging Grounds	Water
Body Sizes	Small (up to 500g)
Threat Factors	Wetland Drainage & Pollution

The Pied Avocet is a larger wader with a distinctive appearance: contrasting black and white plumage and an up-curved black bill. Its preferred habitats are marshes, riverbanks and lakes. Can also be found in coastal lagoons and inundated fields. Uses its long legs to walk and swim in the shallow water, sweeping its bill from side to side to catch invertebrates with its distinctive bill.

The Pied Avocet was mentioned by Tristram as a resident species in Israel in the 19th century. The first confirmed record of breeding was from the Atlit saltpans in 1961. During the 1970s and 1980s, 1-20 nesting attempts were recorded annually in the Northern Valleys and the Coastal Plain, most of which ended in failure, probably because of rapid fluctuations of the water level in fishponds and reservoirs. The last nesting attempts were recorded in the early 2000s; since 2002, however, no breeding pairs have been seen.

All the Pied Avocet nesting attempts observed in Israel took place in artificial water bodies, such as saltpans, emptied fishponds and reservoirs. These habitats are characterized by rapid fluctuations in their water level, which harms nests and eggs. In addition, the species is probably affected by increased predation pressure by eruptive species such as crows, mongooses and jackals that are known predators of ground-nesting birds.

The Pied Avocet has been extinct as a breeder in Israel for the past two decades. According to existing data, the species nested in Israel intermittently and in small numbers, mainly due to the formation of temporary habitats in fishponds and reservoirs. It is highly probable that the Pied Avocet will return to breed in Israel naturally.

• אשבול, י. 1999. קן לסייפן. ארץ וטבע, גיליון 64: 21-27. מוסד ביאליק.
• פז, ע. 1986. עופות. מתוך אלון, ע. (עורך), החי והצומח של ארץ ישראל. כרך 6. הוצאת משרד הביטחון, ישראל.

• Shirihai, H., 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press, London.
• Symes, A. 2013. Species generation lengths. Unpublished, BirdLife International.
• Species page at Birdlife International