Sophie’s latest collection, Coastal Birds, features the graceful Avocet, which is distinctively patterned with its slender black and white body, black caps, long legs and sweeping up-turned beak. Avocets are elegant birds and they sit beautifully on the new Sophie Allport collection. Want to find out more about these incredible birds, keep on reading…
What is an Avocet?
Avocets are a type of wading bird, with there being four different species: the American avocet, the Andean avocet, the Red-necked avocet and finally the Pied avocets. The Pied avocets are the type you can find in the UK and on Sophie Allport's latest collection.
What do Avocets eat?
Their diet consists of invertebrates, so they eat things like aquatic insects, worms and crustaceans. You’ll find them feeding in shallow waters of lagoons, where they use their upturned bills to sweep through the water, or they scan the surface for their prey.
Where can I find them in the UK?
One of Sophie’s favourite locations, the east coast of England, that’s where you’ll find them during the summer. But you’ll find them in the South West during winter, the Ex estuary is one of the better places to see them during the colder months.
Conservation success!
During the 19th century, they were hunted to extinction in the UK, however, during the Second World War, the beaches of East Anglia were closed and flooded for defence, meaning they were able to recolonise here.
Breeding Avocets
They breed from two years of age and tend to nest in colonies of around 150 pairs. Their eggs are pale blue with black markings and they will lay around three to four of these during the breeding season, which is between mid-April and later June. The baby birds can feed themselves and can leave the nest just a few hours after hatching. Amazing!
Looking to inject a little bit of the coast into your home?
Out with the old and in with the coast… this new design makes a subtle statement. Sophie’s Coastal Birds collection is perfect for freshening up your room and bringing in a touch of the coast. This design works wonderfully and complements any interior from coastal to country, pair with soft neutrals to make the sea blue-green colour stand out.
What do you think about our new bird collection? We’d love to hear about your favourite product! Let us know below…
