American Oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
Their bills are so strong they can hammer through a shell or snip the adductor muscle of an oyster in a single strike.
- Scientific name
- Haematopus palliatus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Charadriiformes › Haematopodidae › Haematopus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Coastal salt marshes, sandy beaches, and oyster reefs.
- Diet
- Oysters, clams, mussels, and other marine invertebrates.
- Range
- Atlantic Coast of North America, Gulf Coast, Caribbean Islands, Pacific Coast of South America
- Size
- 43-53 cm length, 81-91 cm wingspan
- Lifespan
- 10-20 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Coastal development, human disturbance at nesting sites, and rising sea levels.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and shy. Maintain a distance of at least 50 meters to avoid disturbing nesting or feeding. If the bird begins calling loudly or circling, you are too close; move away immediately.
The American oystercatcher ( Haematopus palliatus ), occasionally called the American pied oystercatcher , is a member of family Haematopodidae. Originally called the "sea pie", it was renamed in 1731 when naturalist Mark Catesby observed the bird eating oysters. The current population of American oystercatchers is estimated to be 43,000. There are estimated to be 1,500 breeding pairs along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the US. The bird is marked by its black and white body and a...
Photo: Dick Daniels, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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