Recurvirostra Americana, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 787.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 394.
American Avoset, Recurvirostra Americana, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 126, pl. 63, fig. 2.
Recurvirostra Americana, Richards. and Swains., Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 375.
American Avoset, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 74.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill more than twice the length of the head, very slender, much depressed, tapering to a point, and slightly recurved. Upper mandible, with the dorsal line straight for half its length, then a little curved upwards, and at the tip slightly decurved, the ridge broad and flattened, the edges rather thick, the nasal groove rather long and very narrow. Nostrils linear, basal, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line slightly curved upwards, the point very slender, extremely thin and a little curved upwards.
Head small, rounded above, rather compressed. Neck long. Body compact, ovate. Legs very long, slender; tibia elongated, bare for half its length, and reticulated; tarsus very long, compressed, reticulated with hexagonal scales; toes rather short, the first extremely small; outer toe a little longer than inner; the anterior toes connected by webs of which the anterior margin is deeply concave, the lateral toes thickly margined. Claws very small, compressed, rather blunt.
Plumage soft and blended. Wings long, of moderate breadth, pointed; primaries straightish, tapering, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries broad, incurved, the outer rounded, the rest becoming pointed, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, even, of twelve rather narrow, rounded feathers.
Bill black. Iris bright carmine. Feet light blue, webs flesh-coloured towards their edges, claws black. Head, neck, and fore part of breast, reddish-buff, the parts around the base of the bill and the eye, nearly white. The back is white; but on its fore part is a longitudinal band of brownish-black elongated feathers on each side, and the inner scapulars are of the same colour, the outer and the anterior edge of the wing being white. The wing brownish-black, with a broad band of white formed by the tips of the secondary coverts, four of the inner secondaries, and the basal part, with the inner webs and outer edges of the rest. The under parts white, excepting some of the primary quills and some of their coverts, which are greyish-brown.
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of wings 18 1/2, to end of claws 23 1/2 extent of wings 30 5/8; wing from flexure 9 1/2; tail 3 1/2; bill along the ridge 3 3/4; bare part of the tibia 2 3/12; tarsus 3 5/8; hind toe and claw 3/12; middle toe and claw 1 10/12; breadth of foot extended 2 5/8. Weight 16 3/4 oz.