Fun Oystercatcher Facts

January 19, 2012 in New Birds, Fun Facts and Oystercatchers with 50 comments

We recently added two new species of oystercatcher to Birdorable: the Black Oystercatcher and the Eurasian Oystercatcher. These join our updated American Oystercatcher. Here are some interesting facts about this family of conspicuous, large shorebirds.

There are 11 recognized species of Oystercatcher in the world still living today.
One species of oystercatcher, the Canarian Oystercatcher, went extinct in the early 1900's.
Four oystercatcher species are found in the Americas:
- American Oystercatcher;
- Black Oystercatcher;
- Blackish Oystercatcher;
- and Magellanic Oystercatcher
Five oystercatcher species are found in Australia or New Zealand:
- Sooty Oystercatcher;
- Pied Oystercatcher;
- Variable Oystercatcher;
- Chatham Oystercatcher;
- and South Island Oystercatcher
The remaining two extant oystercatcher species are named for their ranges: Eurasian Oystercatcher and African Oystercatcher.Â
Oystercatchers of all species have stocky shorebird bodies.Â
Each species of oystercatcher has black feathers; a few species are black on top with white feathers underneath.Â
All oystercatchers have large bills that are either bright orange or bright red.Â
Oystercatchers do not subsist only on oysters. In fact, there is great variety in the diets of the different oystercatchers; each has a slightly different bill shape that dictates the foods in which is specializes.Â
Oystercatchers nest in scrapes on the ground. Most nest at or near shore habitat.Â
The Eurasian Oystercatcher is the lightest species with an average weight of 526 grams.Â
The Sooty Oystercatcher is typically the heaviest of the oystercatchers, with an average weight of 833 gramsÂ
Eurasian Oystercatchers are found in both coastal and inland habitats. This is unusual among oystercatcher species.Â
The Eurasian Oystercatcher is the national bird of the Faroe Islands.Â
Variable Oystercatchers are so named because of plumage variations. They have black bodies with the front plumage varying from all-black to pied black-and-white.Â
The South Island Oystercatcher, endemic to New Zealand, is also known as the South Island Pied Oystercatcher; its name is often shortened to SIPO.

Cute Oystercatcher Gifts

From Zazzle

Birdorable Pied Oystercatcher Keychain

Comments

Matisse Is Awesome on October 19, 2015 at 11:33 PM wrote:

this is so cool now i love oyster-catchers!!! :P

jamie curry on November 8, 2015 at 3:55 PM wrote:

thanks for helping me for my classwork

millie klein on November 8, 2015 at 3:58 PM wrote:

jamie curry!! this is so cool

chilli con carn on November 8, 2015 at 3:58 PM wrote:

i love it:)

Emily Jane Klein on November 8, 2015 at 4:01 PM wrote:

do they eat frankfurters!?

montessa romier georget zara odonalled wipe my bum for me drapper kid. on November 8, 2015 at 4:02 PM wrote:

im in love with the cocoa

thats not my middle name on November 8, 2015 at 4:03 PM wrote:

thats not my middle name

what is it then mill on November 8, 2015 at 4:05 PM wrote:

what is it mill jean

diddle diddle dumpling jumped over the cow with his latter. on November 8, 2015 at 4:05 PM wrote:

i love this website hehe love your mum xx

do your work!!! on November 8, 2015 at 4:06 PM wrote:

DO YOUR WORK

Jono Sargison on November 8, 2015 at 4:12 PM wrote:

I love the facts thanks!

Waffle on November 8, 2015 at 6:32 PM wrote:

SHUT UP YOU RETARDS!

Waffle on November 8, 2015 at 6:33 PM wrote:

NERDS!

sowhat on November 8, 2015 at 6:35 PM wrote:

says the guy with waffles for a name

Wafle on November 8, 2015 at 6:36 PM wrote:

Waffle actually not waffles, get it right peasant

sowhat on November 8, 2015 at 6:36 PM wrote:

so what

hodor on November 8, 2015 at 6:40 PM wrote:

hodor

groot on November 8, 2015 at 6:41 PM wrote:

i am groot

whats your name on November 9, 2015 at 5:00 PM wrote:

who r u?

Waffle on November 9, 2015 at 5:02 PM wrote:

I believe you know who i am child

hahah where does wafle live and who r u on November 9, 2015 at 5:02 PM wrote:

who are you!?

tell us your name on November 9, 2015 at 5:02 PM wrote:

who are u ???

wtf HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH MONTE IS THIS U??? on November 9, 2015 at 5:03 PM wrote:

monte this is u aint it

wafle on November 9, 2015 at 5:04 PM wrote:

i live in puikeha

its jacob spakman on November 9, 2015 at 5:05 PM wrote:

its jacob spakman and anzac haha

millie klein on November 9, 2015 at 5:05 PM wrote:

hi this is millie hi anzac and jacob

Waffle on November 9, 2015 at 5:08 PM wrote:

I know not of this anzac and jacob

jacob spackman on November 9, 2015 at 5:10 PM wrote:

i love you millie

Waffle on November 9, 2015 at 5:11 PM wrote:

Monte you cheeky bastard

millie klein on November 9, 2015 at 5:12 PM wrote:

i love you too x

Waffle on November 9, 2015 at 5:13 PM wrote:

WOW Monte! Real mature!

monte?? on November 9, 2015 at 5:13 PM wrote:

i have a boy freind you dork ta puss

monte on November 9, 2015 at 5:14 PM wrote:

same justin

Waffle on November 9, 2015 at 5:14 PM wrote:

dork ta puss?

justin bieber on November 9, 2015 at 5:14 PM wrote:

i love you monte

monte on November 9, 2015 at 5:15 PM wrote:

love you to justin

Waffle on November 9, 2015 at 5:18 PM wrote:

I think you just broke the internet

bye gtg do my work on November 9, 2015 at 5:18 PM wrote:

laterz

jacob do u go out with jorgia on November 9, 2015 at 5:18 PM wrote:

???

Waffle on November 9, 2015 at 5:19 PM wrote:

No I don't

smack my ass on November 12, 2015 at 3:42 PM wrote:

i love you Jamie Curry and go jacob spackman getting ins on millie

luci dundas on November 25, 2015 at 3:55 PM wrote:

i want more facts!

luci dundas on November 25, 2015 at 3:56 PM wrote:

i want more facts!

Waffle on November 25, 2015 at 3:56 PM wrote:

Monte, stop it

Spurwing Plover on January 7, 2016 at 9:44 AM wrote:

And becuase their shorebirds they probibly migrate as well

youare on March 10, 2016 at 10:41 AM wrote:

by my videogames today ay ebay buyer .com

Louise Warner on March 17, 2017 at 10:08 AM wrote:

cool! we just saw two black oystercatchers.

Isabelle Lien on April 5, 2021 at 9:22 PM wrote:

TYSM for the info. Very helpful, I really needed it for schoolwork, and just needed help finding it's looks, and was surprised by what i found! I cannot express with words how thankful I am. I know a lot more about oyster catchers than I expected too now.

Spurwing Plover on February 2, 2022 at 7:59 AM wrote:

Sooty Oyster Catchers only catch Sooty Oysters

Spurwing Plover on May 18, 2022 at 7:11 AM wrote:

Beak is made so their able to extract the Oysters

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