On this sunny, mild morning in central Missouri, a friend and I encountered a flock of eight American avocets at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, a special treat for those of us who reside in the lower Missouri River Valley.
Having nested along shallow ponds of the Western High Plains and saline pools of the Great Basin, avocets begin to drift southward by late summer, heading for coastal bays and mudflats of the southern U.S. and Mexico. In both seasonal locations, they feast on a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates which they locate with their long, up-curved bill.
August and September, though part of the "astronomical summer," are the peak months of the autumn shorebird migration. While many of these travelers challenge novice birders with their small size, restless behavior and seemingly generic plumage. American avocets are easy to identify, even at a distance. If for no other reason, they are always notable visitors at this floodplain refuge.
