A long-legged wading bird with a thin, upturned bill, found in wetland areas across the world.
From Italian 'avosetta,' which may derive from an onomatopoeia or a regional European name for the bird. The exact origin is uncertain, but it entered English in the 17th century.
The avocet's upturned bill is one of nature's strangest designs—it sweeps through water sideways to filter-feed, making it one of the few birds that evolved to use its beak like a scythe.
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