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The American Avocet breeds on shallow wetlands and alkaline lakes in southern regions of the prairie provinces, but the majority of the range lies south of the Canadian border. Historically, it was more widespread, with breeding records north to the Northwest Territories and east to New Jersey in the 1800s. Despite the historic range contraction, Breeding Bird Survey results suggest that the population has changed little since 1970. Still, American Avocets face documented and significant threats from pollution and loss of wetland habitats. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
The species was largely extirpated from eastern North America prior to 1900 by shooting and trapping (Ackerman et al. 2013). In the western United States, the species uses wetlands heavily contaminated by agricultural irrigation practices; reproductive failure as a result of selenium and methymercury contamination has been documented (Williams et al. 1989, Ackerman et al. 2013) and may be a widespread issue (Seiler and Skorupa 1995). The American Avocet is susceptible to loss and degradation of natural wetlands for breeding and to pollution of estuarine wintering habitats (Ackerman et al. 2013).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.