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Eurasian Oystercatcher
(Haematopus ostralegus)
: "Common Pied Oystercatcher", "Palaearctic Oystercatcher",
"White-breasted Oystercatcher", "Black-and-white Osytercatcher",
"Oystercatcher"
Size: 40-45 cm, incl. bill (6.5-9 cm); wing span 80-85 cm
Weight: 480 g (average)
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 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 correct identification of waders ("shorebirds"), e.g. of the
Calidris, Tringa, Actitis and
related families or of the Charadrius, Pluvialis and related genera
in the field can be quite tricky. We have therefore made an attempt to
give some advice HERE.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Eurasian
Oystercatcher at Wikipedia  .
Click here for classification information
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Range, habitat |
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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
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The global distribution of the Pied Oystercatcher is available
HERE
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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 Arabia Eurasian Oystercatchers are mainly winter visitors
to wetlands along the coastal fringe, including the coastline
of Oman.
Outside the breeding season Eurasian Oystercatchers are not
found anywhere inland.
Outside the breeding season Eurasian Oystercatchers hunt only in
saline and brackish water along the coast, from estuaries to
tidal flats, mudflats and sandy beaches.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "longipes"
We first spotted an Eurasian Oystercatcher, race
"longipes",
at Ras Al-Hadd, near the eastern tip of the Arabian peninsula, in May
2010.
In the same month they were also seen by us on beaches in the
Batinah region, about 100 km West of Muscat.
Race "ostralegus"
We regularly spotted Pied Oystercatchers, nominate race
"ostralegus",
along the coastline of the Netherlands in the timeframe 1996-2000.
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Photos |
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Race "longipes"
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Lateral view of a juvenile Eurasian Oystercatcher; note the
white semi-collar and the dark tip of the bill
[Al Batinah region, May 2010]
Dorsal view of a juvenile Eurasian Oystercatcher; click on image
to also see its mates and a
Eurasian Curlew
[Al Batinah region, May 2010]
Near-lateral view, showing clearly the white neckband
typical of juvenile Eurasian Oystercatchers
[Ras Al Hadd, May 2010]
Distant lateral view of an juvenile Eurasian Oystercatcher in flight
[Ras Al Hadd, May 2010]
Juvenile Eurasian Oystercatcher landing on a beach...
[Ras Al Hadd, May 2010]
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Food, Diet |
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Pied Oystercatches feed on oysters and other shellfish that they pry
loose with their powerful bills.
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Call/s
