- Haematopus palliatus
Identification
L. 17-21 in (43-53 cm)
- Large, stocky shorebird
- Boldly patterened in blackish brown and white
- Long red bill
- Pale pink legs and feet
- Bold white wing patches in flight
- Eye yellow, surrounded by a red ring
Distribution
Seacoasts and islands of U.S. to southern South America.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 2 subspecies1:
- H. p. palliatus:
- Seacoasts and islands of US to southern South America and West Indies
- H. p. galapagensis:
Additional subspecies prattii, durnfordi, pitanay and frazari are generally considered invalid2.
Habitat
Marshes and wetlands, coastal desert and pebbly beaches, mudflats and shellbars' Sandy and pebbly beaches, mudflats, borders of salt marshes. 1
Behaviour
Congregate into large flocks in winter and on migration.
Diet
They specialise in shellfish, using their beak to break open the shells. They also eat worms and insects.
Breeding
Two to four buffy eggs, with sparse brown markings, are laid in a shallow depression lined with shell fragments.
Vocalisation
A high whistle, usually given in flight
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) American Oystercatcher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 February 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/American_Oystercatcher
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
