, i — TjJl/lfciltS , t .
RE CUUVIROS TRA R U B R I f OLLIS, t*
Red-peeked Avocet.
Recurvirostra rubricollis, Temm. Man. dJOrn., Part II. p. 592.—Less. Traité d’Om., p. 592.— Gould, Syn. Birds of
-------- ------Nova-Hollandioe, Vieill. 2nde Edit, du Nouv. Diet, d’Hist. Na£, tom? iii. p. 103 ? and Ency. Méth.,
Part I. p. 360?
Ya-jîn-goô-rong, Aborigines of the lowland ^strïçiàiof Western Australia. ■
T he western apd southern portions alia*; appear to be inhabited by this beautiful Avoe§^ in far
greater numbers than any other. | | || | j not myself meet with it during my!ramble’s in^New South Wales,
but I have now» and then those parts. It is one o f ;the few birds, the range of
which extends on both sides of the equator, and- which find an equally congenial habitat in the northern
hemisphere as in the southern. J'hfiyc seen numerous specimens from the provinces of India, which so
closely accorded with the Australiunbird, -tbat l could not discover the slightest difference between them.
/ Like' its European representative, the Bed-necked Avocet frequents the shallow parts of lakes, inletsof the
sea, vdndf the muddy banks o f riy^s^bMu 4 wading kneq-deep in the water, and ^adi% sv i® h i^ when
remdyes/ill^l0 do.
I ts food consists o f minute marine mollusca and insects, which it gathers from the surfaceof^theimud with
its delicately organized bill, the structure o f which is admirably adapted for the purpose:iUof; less^appropriate
is the structure of its fe e t; which^^ffig-^^^mly webbed, enable the bird to over the^soft -surface
of the ground with far greater ease than cqB^^Meffected by any of the Sandpipers, whose toes are divided
to their base. In Western Australia the favourite/ocalities of this bird are ffm^ke^i# the neighbourhood of
Perth and on Rottnest Island,'^fiere i t i s seen in small flocks in company with the Himantopus leucocephalus.
In South Australia, > the^Biver Murray and the shores o f Lake Alexandria afford situations equally adapted
pMits^ e^i&tence.T -;-~
Its flight is easy and capable of being long sustained. .
The sexes are alike in plumage and ediffer but little in size.
Head and upper half o f the neck chestnut, extending downwards on the front of the neck; middle of the
wings, primaries and part o f the scapularies black, the rest o f the plumage w h i te ; hM®bright j e d ; bill
black ; le gs greyish blue; tarsi and feet tinged with olive.
The figures represent both sexes o f the natural size.