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Avocet Love

These two American Avocets were never far apart on the morning when I was photographing them. They were a couple, and displayed sweet behavior towards each other after mating. I think crossing beaks is like a warm embrace for humans!

The American Avocet’s long, upturned bill and elegant profile stand out among the other wading birds. Around lake shores and tidal flats, especially in the wide-open spaces of the west, American Avocets wade in shallow wetlands with little vegetation to hide them, filtering tiny food items from just below the surface. They nest in areas almost lacking vegetation altogether. They breed around wetlands in dry parts of interior North America, but during the winter, many of them head to coastal lagoons, salt ponds, and mudflats.

Photo taken April 19, 2019, in Lakewood, Colorado.