Large wader bird (about 46 cm or 18 in), graceful and in which its bi-coloured black and white body and a long, upturned bill stand out. Black upper half of the head, upperparts and wings. The rest of the body is white. Long bluish grey legs protruding from the tail in flight.
Wetlands
Wet areas of shallow, salty or brackish waters and with little or very dispersed vegetation. Salt marshes and flats and also indoor brackish lagoons.
Species resident in the province all year round. Malaga also hosts birds in migratory passage. It reproduces sparingly in the province. Breeding in colonies. From April the Pied Avocet builds a nest on the ground or inside the wet area, uncovered and without protective vegetation. One annual laying of 3 to 4 eggs. This wader feeds on worms, insects and crustaceans that it takes from the mud using its bill like a scythe, moving its head from side to side.
It can be watched in migration along the Malaga coast, especially in the Cantales de la Araña, Peñón del Cuervo, Calahonda, Calaburra and the mouth of the Guadalhorce and Vélez rivers. It breeds in the Fuente de Piedra and Campillos lagoons.
Some waders, such as avocets, have sensory abilities at the bill. As if it were a kind of sense of touch, they are able to detect with the bill whether there are animals buried in the mud. In addition, at the base of the bill avocets have some sheets that help them filter and retain their prey when they dig up the mud.
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