- Haematopus longirostris
Photographed at the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
Identification
The Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. This Australian species is easily recognized by the characteristic 5–8 cm long orange-red beak, slender pink legs and black and white plumage. With the wings extended, a white wing-stripe is also visible. The male and female show little differentiation, except that the males generally sport a shorter, wider beak.
The Pied Oystercatcher is shy of humans and seldom allows close approach. It is mostly silent when feeding but may utter a whistled 'peepapeep' or 'pleep-pleep' when in flight. All oystercatchers have a bright orange-red bill, eye-rings and legs and a red eye. Young birds are similar in appearance to the adults, but lack the intense red-orange colour and are more brown instead of black. The size ranges from 48 - 51 cm. The white breast and belly distinguish the Pied Oystercatcher from the closely related Sooty Oystercatcher, H. fuliginosus, which has all black plumage.
Distribution
It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. The similar South Island Pied Oystercatcher (H. finschi) occurs in New Zealand.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Pied Oystercatchers frequent sandy coastines, where they feed mainly on bivalve molluscs, which are prised apart with their specially adapted bill. It prefers mudflats, sandbanks and sandy ocean beaches and is less common along rocky or shingle coastlines. Although rarely recorded far from the coast, the Pied Oystercatcher may occasionally be found in estuarine mudflats and short pasture.
Behaviour
The name "oystercatcher" is something of a misnomer for this species, because they seldom eat oysters, which are found mainly on rocky coastlines.
Pied Oystercatchers feed mainly on bivalve molluscs, but also take other invertebrates. The techniques they use to break open the shells of the molluscs vary greatly and are thought to be learned behavior.
They nest in shallow scrapes made in open areas near the shore and produce 2-3 eggs in a typical clutch. Each couple protects its nesting area and often uses the same area year after year. Like the gulls they share the shore with, Oystercatchers will band together to mob a perceived threat.
The Pied Oystercatcher breeds in pairs from October to January each year (earlier in the north of Australia). A breeding territory of some 200 m is formed and is defended by both birds. Nesting takes place on sand, shell grit or shingle just above high water mark on beaches, sandbars, margins of estuaries and lagoons. The two or three eggs are well-camouflaged, being pale brown with darker brown and black blotches and streaks. Both sexes share parenting duties.
