A lovely looking bird with a long upturned bill and distinctive black and white markings, and relatively long legs. Adults have white plumage except for a black cap and black patches on the wing and on the back. They are approximately 17 inches in length which includes the bill which is around 3inches long. Their legs are a bluish colour and measure between 3 - 4 inches in length. They have a wing span of around 30 inches. When feeding they sweep their bill from side to side in the water looking for shrimp and insects. Their nest consists of a small scrape, lined with grass and shell fragments. They have just one brood per year consisting of between 3 - 5 eggs.

The Avocet became extinct in Britain in 1840 and was only reintroduced at Minsmere in Suffolk in 1947. These birds were filmed at North Cave Wetlands in East Yorkshire.