Birds Guide

Oystercatchers
American Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae Bonaparte, 1838 Genus: Haematopus Linnaeus, 1758
Species
Magellanic Oystercatcher H. leucopodus Blackish Oystercatcher H. ater American Black Oystercatcher H. bachmani American Oystercatcher H. palliatus Canarian Black Oystercatcher † H. meadewaldoi African Black Oystercatcher H. moquini Eurasian Oystercatcher H. ostralegus Australian Pied Oystercatcher H. longirostris Chatham Island Oystercatcher H. chathamensis Variable Oystercatcher H. unicolor Sooty Oystercatcher H. fuliginosus

The Oystercatchers are a group of waders; they form the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, Haematopus. They are large obvious and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.

In some species, the bill shape varies according to the diet. Those birds with blade-like bill tips prise open or smash mollusc shells, and those with pointed bill tips tend to probe for annelid worms.

They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions. They are all-black, black and white or brown and white in appearance.

Their eggs are laid in a shallow scrape on shingle. Oystercatcher eggs are grey and speckled, providing camouflage against the grey rock background. They are pointed at one end. Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of this is not to provide space for the chick's long beaks (their long beaks develop after hatching). The pointed shape is thought to prevent the eggs from rolling down a steep slope.

Eurasian Oystercatcher	American Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)	American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) Image from 'Birds of America" J.J. Audubon	Oystercatchers chasing crabs, Galapagos
Oystercatchers nesting, Galapagos	Oystercatchers swapping places on nest, Galapagos	Black Oystercatcher at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

External links

• ARKive - images and movies of the oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
• Oystercatcher videos on the Internet Bird Collection