Pl. CXLVII
The Birds · Plate CXLVII
American Oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
Haematopodidae · Taxon 4840
| Length | 40–44 cm |
| Wingspan | 76–86 cm |
| Weight | 400–700 g |
Field marks
- Large, thickset shorebird with a robust neck and long legs
- Long, straight, stout red-orange bill
- Black head, neck, and upper breast
- Dark brown back and folded wings contrasting with a white belly
- Golden-yellow eye surrounded by a red orbital ring
- White wing stripe and white tail base visible in flight
HabitatStrictly coastal intertidal habitats, including sandy or shell beaches, tidal mudflats, saltmarshes, rocky shores, shellfish reefs, dunes, and low islands used for nesting or roosting.
BehaviorWalks through shallow intertidal water and exposed flats, finding bivalves by sight and opening them by stabbing between the shells or hammering them apart. Often rests at communal roosts around high tide and gives loud piping calls during courtship and territorial encounters.
Palette
coal blackdark brownclean whitevivid red-orangepale pink