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Oystercatchers
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Habitat: Chiefly a shorebird, but locally breeds inland
by rivers, lochs and gravel pits. In winter, more strictly
coastal
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Discription: Noisy boldly plumaged wader. It's piping
calls draw attention, and the black and white plumage
and long red bill make it easy to identifyl.
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Length: 15 inches
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Large shorebird
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Bright orange, long, thick bill
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Plumage entirely black
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Pink legs
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Yellow eye
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Orange orbital ring
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Juvenile like adult but bill has dark tip and plumage
is browner
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The Oystercatchers are a small family of shorebirds that have specialized
bills for dealing with oysters, mussels, and limpets. There is a black
or pied species -- and sometimes both -- on most shorelines (particularly
rocky ones) at temperate latitudes around the world. During the past
40 years or so there appears to have been a general increase in numbers
of oystercatchers, and today big flocks can be seen on favourite sand-banks
and mudflats, paddling about in search of shellfish and small crustacea.
But why this bird has been called oystercatcher is not very clear,
since there is hardly any evidence that they are capable of opening
a fully developed oyster. Oyster beds where young oysters are matured
are as carefully looked after today as are game preserves, and it
does not seem that the 'sea pie' has been one of the enemies. |
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| Bird rescue & bird adoption;
parrot refuge/rescue & placement for unwanted birds. |
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| Check out our list of local
birds broken down by your state and different types of
species. |
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| Migrating birds stay on track
because of chemical reactions in their bodies that are
influenced by the Earth's magnetic field... |
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Part
I
November
19, 2004