Doñana National Park | Spain | Waterfowl

A slender black‑and‑white wader with long bluish legs and an up‑curved bill used for sweeping in shallow water; avocets are iconic in Doñana’s salt pans and mudflats, where they form breeding colonies on small islands. They feed in flocks, sweeping the bill through surface water to capture small invertebrates.

Striking black and white plumage, long bluish legs and a thin bill that curves upward; watch feeding—repetitive sweeping across shallow water is diagnostic. In flight look for long neck, trailing legs, and a long-winged silhouette with black wing patches.

Common Confusions

• Black‑winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus Stilts have straight, needle‑like bills and longer legs, and lack the avocet’s up‑curved bill and black‑white patterned wings.
• Common Redshank Tringa totanus Redshanks are smaller, brownish and have straight bills and distinctive red legs, while avocets are bold black‑and‑white with pale legs.
• Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Spoonbills are larger white birds with a spatulate bill, not the thin upcurved bill of avocets.
• Ruff Calidris pugnax Ruffs are smaller waders with different plumage and bill shape; avocets are larger with distinctive bill curvature and black‑white pattern.
• American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Similar morphology but differing range and subtle plumage shades—American avocet is a New World species; identification in Doñana relies on geography.