{"id":5956,"date":"2012-08-22T03:55:10","date_gmt":"2012-08-22T09:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=5956"},"modified":"2025-09-09T17:54:49","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T22:54:49","slug":"american-avocets-in-breeding-and-nonbreeding-plumage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/08\/22\/american-avocets-in-breeding-and-nonbreeding-plumage\/","title":{"rendered":"American Avocets In Breeding And Nonbreeding Plumage"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AmericanAmerican Avocet in nonbreeding plumage – Nikon D200, f8, 1\/750, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I photographed this American Avocet in nonbreeding plumage as it foraged in Glover’s Pond at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area<\/span><\/a> in northern Utah a few years ago in the month of November.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Avocet in breeding plumage – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This image of an American Avocet was taken in August of last year at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana.\u00a0 What a difference there is between the pale grayish head and neck of the nonbreeding Avocet to the apricot to cinnamon colored plumage that a breeding bird displays.<\/p>\n

Personally I believe that American Avocets are stunning in any season of the year.<\/p>\n

Okay, it isn’t just avocets I feel that way about, it is all birds.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my American Avocet photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I photographed this American Avocet in nonbreeding plumage as it foraged in Glover’s Pond at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in northern Utah a few years ago in the month of November.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":155098,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[451,27,697,12,608,26],"tags":[1634,5828,5350,4053,4062,4094,4246,4177,274,3996,4095],"class_list":["post-5956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-avocets","category-avian","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-montana","category-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge","category-utah","tag-american-avocet","tag-avocet","tag-avocets","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-male","tag-marsh","tag-nonbreeding-plumage","tag-recurvirostra-americana","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-water","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-avocet-breeding-mia-mcpherson-2187.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-1y4","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":43081,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/11\/12\/late-migrating-american-avocets-in-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":5956,"position":0},"title":"Late Migrating American Avocets in Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 12, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Most of the American Avocets have migrated away from northern Utah but most years we can have a few stragglers that haven't migrated by this time of the year","rel":"","context":"In "American Avocets"","block_context":{"text":"American Avocets","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-avocets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Stretching American Avocet in non-breeding plumage, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/american-avocet-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-2138.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/american-avocet-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-2138.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/american-avocet-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-2138.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/american-avocet-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-2138.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40743,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/08\/01\/nonbreeding-american-avocet-foraging-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":5956,"position":1},"title":"Nonbreeding American Avocet foraging at Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The American Avocets look a bit different now than they did earlier in the year because they are now in their paler, less colorful nonbreeding plumage.","rel":"","context":"In "American Avocets"","block_context":{"text":"American Avocets","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-avocets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Nonbreeding American Avocet foraging, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/american-avocet-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-3660.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/american-avocet-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-3660.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/american-avocet-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-3660.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/american-avocet-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-3660.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/american-avocet-foraging-mia-mcpherson-2979.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/american-avocet-foraging-mia-mcpherson-2979.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/american-avocet-foraging-mia-mcpherson-2979.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/american-avocet-foraging-mia-mcpherson-2979.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":122167,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/02\/28\/flock-of-american-avocets-at-farmington-bay\/","url_meta":{"origin":5956,"position":3},"title":"Flock Of American Avocets At Farmington Bay","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"On my last trip to Farmington Bay WMA, I was delighted to have a resting flock of American Avocets in my viewfinder. Seeing these shorebirds delights me.","rel":"","context":"In "American Avocets"","block_context":{"text":"American Avocets","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-avocets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Avocet flock resting at Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/american-avocet-flock-resting-mia-mcpherson-9117.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/american-avocet-flock-resting-mia-mcpherson-9117.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/american-avocet-flock-resting-mia-mcpherson-9117.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2023","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning, I wanted to share a photo of an adult American Avocet taken in the wetlands of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "American Avocets"","block_context":{"text":"American Avocets","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-avocets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Avocet walking in shallow water in spring, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/american-avocet-springtime-mia-mcpherson-2904.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/american-avocet-springtime-mia-mcpherson-2904.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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