- Haematopus longirostris
Identification
48–51 cm (19-20 in)
- Black and white plumage
- Long orange-red beak (5–8 cm)
- Orange eyering
- Red eye
- Pink legs
- White wing-stripe
Sexes similar but males have a shorter, wider beak, white breast and belly.
Similar Species
2252 Oystercatcher, Pied 05f.jpg
- South Island Oystercatcher: occurs in New Zealand.
- Sooty Oystercatcher: has all black plumage.
Distribution
Coasts and islands of Australasia.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Sandy coastlines, mudflats, sandbanks, salt marshes, sand dunes and pastures.
Behaviour
Diet
They feed almost entirely on bivalve molluscs and other invertebrates
Breeding
Generally monogamous. Their nests are shallow scrapes. The clutch consists of 2-3 pale brown eggs with darker brown and black blotches and streaks. Both sexes share parenting duties.
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/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Sept 2017)
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Pied Oystercatcher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pied_Oystercatcher
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
