American Oystercatcher

The American Oystercatcher is a large, unmistakable shorebird with a blackish-brown head and upper breast, a dark brown back and wings, and white underparts. Its most striking feature is a long, straight, laterally flattened, bright orange-red bill, matched by pale pink legs and a yellow eye ringed in orange.

A conspicuous and noisy resident of coastal beaches and oyster reefs, it is one of the largest and most recognizable shorebirds of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Key field marks

• Black head and upper breast
• Brown back and wings, white underparts
• Long, straight, bright orange bill
• Pale pink legs
• Yellow eye with an orange eye-ring

Similar species

The Black Oystercatcher of the Pacific coast is entirely sooty-black with no white. The Eurasian Oystercatcher has a more sharply defined black-and-white pattern and occupies a largely non-overlapping range.

Habitat

Sandy and shelly beaches, salt marshes, and oyster reefs.

Range and migration

Found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America, and the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America. Northern populations migrate south along the coast for winter, while many populations are resident.

Behavior

Forages on tidal flats and oyster bars at low tide, using its strong, chisel-like bill to pry open or hammer through the shells of shellfish.

Voice

Loud, piercing 'wheep' calls, especially in flight.

Feeding

Oysters, clams, mussels, and other marine invertebrates.

Nesting and breeding

Territorial pairs nest in a simple scrape in sand or shell on open beaches or salt marsh islands.