American Oystercatcher

The American oystercatcher, known scientifically as Haematopus palliatus, is a striking bird with a bold black and white plumage contrast and a vivid orange beak. The head and breast are cloaked in black, while the back, wings, and tail exhibit a greyish-black hue. The underparts gleam white, and this white extends to the inner wing feathers, which are revealed in flight. The bird's eyes are encircled by orange rings, complementing the yellow irises, and the legs are a delicate pink. Adult American oystercatchers range from 42 to 52 centimeters in length.

Identification Tips

To identify the American oystercatcher, look for its long, stout, bright orange beak and the distinctive black and white coloring. The black head and breast contrast sharply with the white belly, and the greyish-black back and wings. The yellow irises and orange orbital rings around the eyes are also key features, along with the pink legs.

Habitat

During the breeding season, the American oystercatcher frequents coastal habitats such as sand or shell beaches, dunes, salt marshes, marsh islands, mudflats, and dredge spoil islands composed of sand or gravel. Outside of the breeding season, they can be found feeding in mud or salt flats exposed by the tide and on shellfish beaches.

Distribution

The American oystercatcher is found along the Atlantic coast of North America from Massachusetts to Florida, extending to the Gulf coast, the Caribbean, and further south to Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. On the Pacific side, they range from California through Mexico, Central America, Peru, and Chile. After a period of local extinction in the northeastern United States in the 19th century, protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act allowed them to reoccupy historical habitats in the coastal Northeast.

Behaviour

These birds are intimately connected to coastal environments, nesting on beaches and islands and feeding on marine invertebrates. They use their robust beaks to pry open bivalve mollusks and raise a clutch of two or three eggs.

Song & calls

During courtship, American oystercatchers produce a single piping note as they walk together, which can progress to mutual calling as they run side by side and may culminate in a tightly coordinated flight around their territory.

Breeding

American oystercatchers reach breeding maturity at 3–4 years of age and breed between April and July. They create shallow depressions in the sand to serve as nests, which they line with shells and pebbles. The female lays 2–4 speckled eggs per nest, which both parents incubate for 25 to 27 days.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the American oystercatcher consists almost exclusively of shellfish and other marine invertebrates, including oysters, mussels, clams, limpets, sea urchins, starfish, crabs, and worms. They are adept at opening partially closed shells to feed on the mollusks inside and may also probe the sand for clams or carry loose shellfish out of the water to hammer open their shells.

Conservation status

The American oystercatcher is currently listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN, with a stable and possibly increasing population in the United States. However, in some states, it is considered a species of concern due to low and declining numbers. The North American population is on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List. While not federally listed as threatened or endangered, the species is vulnerable to habitat loss from coastal development and sea level rise, as well as threats from pollution, disease, and invasive species affecting food availability.