9

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) Alternate name(s): "Common Pied Oystercatcher", "Palaearctic Oystercatcher", "White-breasted Oystercatcher", "Black-and-white Osytercatcher", "Oystercatcher" German name(s): "Austernfischer" Size: 40-45 cm, incl. bill (6.5-9 cm); wing span 80-86 cm Body mass: 425-820 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: ca. 0.46

Europe: Family Group 9 Family Group 9 Table Red Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope Eurasian Stone-curlew Black-winged Stilt Pied Avocet Collared Pratincole Eurasian Oystercatcher Common Ringed Plover Little Ringed Plover Kentish Plover Grey Plover European Golden Plover Eurasian Dotterel Sociable Lapwing Northern Lapwing Spur-winged Lapwing Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Eurasian Oystercatchers are medium-sized shorebirds. They have all black-and-white plumage. Head, neck and upperparts (mantle, wings and uppertail) are black, while the underparts (chest, belly, vent and underwing coverts) are white. The eye-rings and bill are bright red, while the legs and feet are pink. Juvenile Eurasian Oystercatchers have a prominent white neckband. The wing coverts and back are brownish-sooty, not black; the bill is pale-orange with an extensive dark tip and the legs are greyish.

Taxonomy, classification See Eurasian Oystercatcher at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information The Eurasian Oystercatcher is no longer considered to be conspecific with the Australian Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris).

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Pied Oystercatcher is available HERE . There are 3 races of Eurasian Oystercatchers, which are a partly migratory species. Nominate race "ostralegus" is resident only along large parts of the European West coast (including Iceland and the British Isles). Elsewhere they (and the other two races) are migratory. In summer race "ostralegus" extends its breeding range into northern England, Scotland, the rest of the Icelandic coastline and basically the entire near-coastal fringe of Scandinavia (including the Baltic Sea) and of European Russia. They spend the northern winters anywhere in coastal regions from the Gulf of Biscay down the Iberian coastline and on to the western African coastline, the Tunisian and western Libyan coastline and the coastline of Macedonia and southern Greece, as well as the Nile delta and the eastern African coastline to Somalia, and across the Red Sea along the coastline of Yemen. The western/central Asian race "longipes" breeds from to the North of the Black Sea eastwards, into mid-latitude western and central Asia, on both sides of the Caucasus mountains and along the North coast of the Caspian Sea, as far to the East as the western Mongolian border. They spend the winters anywhere from eastern Oman, around the Persian Gulf, the Iranian and Pakistani coast, around the Indian subcontinent and on to the border of Bangladesh with Burma. The far-eastern race "osculans" breeds in (near-)coastal areas of central eastern China northwards to far-eastern Russia (but not Korea) and on Sakhalin. They spend the winters along the southern half of hte Chinese coastline, to just to the South of the border with Vietnam. In Europe only Eurasian Oystercatchers of nominate race "ostralegus" are found. They are sedentary only along parts of the Icelandic coastline, the coastline of the British Isles and associated smaller islands, the North Sea coast of the Benelux countries and north-western Germany, the Bretagne in western France, some locations along the Iberian North coast and parts of the Cote d'Azure in the South of France. There is also a permanent population along the eastern part of the Greek coastline and the West coast of Asia Minor. Along the rest of the Iberian and French Atlantic coastline they are winter visitors. They breed the rest of the European coastline, including the Baltic Sea and the entire Norwegian Atlantic coastline. Thus, across Europe they are not found anywhere inland. Outside the breeding season, Eurasian Oystercatchers stay only in coastal habitats. During the breeding season they not only extend their range farther northward, but also into inland freshwater habitats of eastern Europe and western to central Asia.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "ostralegus" M. Eaton reports spotting a Eurasian Oystercatcher, nominate race "ostralegus", at Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018. More Eurasian Oystercatchers, race "ostralegus", were found by M. Eaton at Land's End and near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, in September 2019. G. Normand found a Eurasian Oystercatcher, race "ostralegus", in Concorneau, Bretagne, France, in August 2020. J. Pires reports spotting Eurasian Oystercatchers, race "ostralegus", in Caminha, Viana do Castelo, Portugal, in July 2020 and at Salinas do Forte do Rato, Tavira, Faro, Algarve, Portugal, in September 2020. Others were found in the Sado estuary, Setubal, Portugal, in January 2023 and again in February 2025. H. Dahlem-Senger reports finding Eurasian Oystercatchers, race "ostralegus", in abundance along the German East-Frisian North Sea coastline and islands in June 2021. Good numbers were found in the area again in September 2024. C. Pears spotted a Eurasian Oystercatchers, race "ostralegus", in Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland, in August 2023, and at Knott End, Lancashire, England, in September 2023. Race "longipes" A Eurasian Oystercatcher, race "longipes", was previously found by us in Oman.

Photos

Race "ostralegus"

ADULT

BREEDING

PAIR

(Near-)lateral view of a pair of Eurasian Oystercatchers in breeding plumage, with a juvenile at front right; the bird on the left has a slightly longer bill, with a stronger base, making it a likely female; the bird at far right would then be a male
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuary, Setubal, Portugal, February 2025]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an adult Eurasian Oystercatcher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Eurasian Oystercatcher (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Near-lateral view of a Eurasian Oystercatcher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Oystercatcher (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Concorneau, Bretagne, France, August 2020]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Oystercatcher foraging in a meadow (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Mob of Eurasian Oystercatchers, with at least one bird in full breeding plumage, others in eclipse and at least one juvenile (dark bill) (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuary, Setubal, Portugal, February 2025]

Mob of Eurasian Oystercatchers, with at least one bird in full breeding plumage, others in eclipse and at least one juvenile (dark bill) (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuary, Setubal, Portugal, February 2025]

NON-BREEDING

PAIR

Lateral view of a pair of Eurasian Oystercatchers in non-breeding plumage; based on the length of the bill, the bird on the left is likely a male and the one on the right, with a slightly longer bill, a female
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas do Forte do Rato, Tavira, Faro, Algarve, Portugal, September 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Eurasian Oystercatchers in non-breeding plumage taking off; note the white half-collars
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuary, Setubal, Portugal, January 2023]

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a Eurasian Oystercatcher in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas do Forte do Rato, Tavira, Faro, Algarve, Portugal, September 2020]

Mob of Eurasian Oystercatchers, most of which in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuary, Setubal, Portugal, February 2025]

Lateral view of a small mob of Eurasian Oystercatchers in non-breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuary, Setubal, Portugal, February 2025]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of two juvenile Eurasian Oystercatchers (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, September 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Eurasian Oystercatcher (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, September 2024]

Lateral view of a juvenile Eurasian Oystercatcher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

Distant near-lateral view of a juvenile Eurasian Oystercatcher spending the breeding season in winter quarters
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Caminha, Viana do Castelo, Portugal, July 2020]

Near-dorsal view of 3 Eurasian Oystercatchers, possibly a family; the bird on the left is a juvenile - note the dark tip of the bill; based on the length and thickness of the bill, the bird at the centre is a male, the one on the right a female; while the female is still in non-breeding plumage, the male is losing its white half-collar, moulting into breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuary, Setubal, Portugal, January 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a male Eurasian Oystercatcher, right, with a juvenile - note the dark tip of the bill
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuary, Setubal, Portugal, January 2023]

Eurasian Oystercatcher with a chick starting to grow its juvenile plumage (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Spiekeroog, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Pair of Eurasian Oystercatchers with a young chick (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Eurasian Oystercatcher with a young chick (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Near-frontal view of a Eurasian Oystercatcher chick (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Oystercatcher chick (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Oystercatcher chick (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Oystercatcher chick (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Oystercatcher with its chick (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Race "longipes"

Photos of a Eurasian Oystercatcher, race "longipes", were taken by us in Oman.

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Partially migratory

Elementary unit: Pair/mob

Eurasian Oystercatchers are sedentary at suitable locations along the western European coastline from the Bay of Biscaye to the Dutch and German North Sea coastline and around the British Isles. Around Iberia and the Mediterranean they overwinter. Elsewhere they are summer breeding migrants. Outside their breeding season, Eurasian Oystercatchers are highly gregarious. Although by the early 2020ies considered near-threatened, they can still congregate in significant numbers.

Part of a flock of Eurasian Oystercatchers, with about 340 individuals (plus some smaller waders) visible in this composite image; a separate photo taken on the same occasion shows another at least 400 individuals, leading to a total of at least about 750 individuals (photos courtesy of C. Pears)
[Knott End, Lancashire, England, September 2023]

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