Oystercatchers

American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus

Family Haematopodidae (Oystercatchers)

Size: 18"

Season: Summer

Habitat: Coastal beaches, tide pools

The American oystercatcher is a chunky, short-tailed, and short-winged shorebird with a dark-brown back, white belly, and black head. It has a heavy, knifelike, bright-red bill, yellow eyes, and stocky, salmon-colored legs. In flight there is a distinct white bar across the secondary feathers. It follows the tidal pattern, foraging at low tide and roosting at high tide in groups with other shorebirds and gulls. It uses its bill to pry away shellfish—including oysters—from rocks, or to probe for worms. The bill is also used to jam open bivalves and devour the flesh. Its voice is a loud, piping call. The adult is illustrated.