. Birds of Massachusetts and other New England states. Birds; Birds. 380 BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS Recurvirostra americana Gmelin. Avocet. Other name: American Avocet Description. — Bill excessively slender, flattened on top, sometimes nearly straight, often much upcurved (sometimes downcurved toward tip, where upper mandible is slightly hooked), much longer than head, nearly as long as tarsus; front toes full webbed, hind toe elevated, very small. Adults in breeding plumage (sexes alike): Variable; general color white, changing to light cinnamon-brown or rusty-brown on head, neck and br
. Birds of Massachusetts and other New England states. Birds; Birds. 380 BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS Recurvirostra americana Gmelin. Avocet. Other name: American Avocet Description. — Bill excessively slender, flattened on top, sometimes nearly straight, often much upcurved (sometimes downcurved toward tip, where upper mandible is slightly hooked), much longer than head, nearly as long as tarsus; front toes full webbed, hind toe elevated, very small. Adults in breeding plumage (sexes alike): Variable; general color white, changing to light cinnamon-brown or rusty-brown on head, neck and breast; a whitish space around eye and another about base of bill; inner scapulars brownish-black; rump grayish; wings mainly black or blackish; tips of secondaries and terminal halves of greater coverts broadly white, latter forming white bar across wing; tertials pale drab; edges of wing, wing linings and axillars largely white; bill mostly black, often flesh-colored at lower base; iris brown, red or carmine; legs and feet mostly pale blue, webs more or less flesh color. Adult and immature in winter plumage: Similar, but rusty of head, neck and breast replaced above by pale gray, below by white. Young in juvenal plumage: Similar to adult in winter but duller, primaries slightly tipped white; back feathers tipped and mottled more or less buffy and whitish; tinge of light reddish on nape; crown dull grayish. Downy young: Top and sides of head mottled and mixed black, white and rusty-brown; hind neck and upper back similar, but more rusty; rest of upper plumage blackish with some rusty intermixed, becoming grayish on lower back and wings; a white spot on fore- head and another in middle of chin; under plumage dull whitish. Measurements. — Very variable; length to in.; spread to ; folded wing to ; tail to ; bill to ; bare tibia to ; tarsus to Female smaller than male. Molts. — Most juvenal body-feathers, ap
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Keywords: ., bookauthorforb, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectbirds
