Recurvirostra fossil map
Where fossils of Recurvirostra have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 15.98 million years ago to the present (Langhian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Recurvirostridae |
| Named by | Linnaeus 1758 |
| Fossil records | 12 occurrences at 11 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Spain, Mexico, Italy |
| Rock formations | txn:39587, Temblor, Tamiami, Bermont, Alfambra |
About Recurvirostra
The four species of avocets are a genus, Recurvirostra, of waders in the same avian family as the stilts. The genus name comes from Latin recurvus, 'curved backwards' and rostrum, 'bill'. The common name is thought to derive from the Italian (Ferrarese) word avosetta, which may relate to Latin avis ("bird"). Francis Willughby in 1678 noted the "Avosetta of the Italians".
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Avocet (revision 1338549061), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q286072.
