FWS Photo The American oystercatcher is a common sight year-round at Gulf Islands National Seashore. Barrier islands, like those in the park, provide the birds with a bountiful food supply and a sandy nesting environment with few predators. The American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliates) is a large shorebird about 15-17 inches (38.1-43.18 cm) tall. They have a long distinct red-orange bill and yellow eyes. From a distance, the bird looks black, but up close their back is dark brown, head and neck are black, and belly is white.
They inhabit the coastal areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Coastal habitats provide oyster beds and clam flats that are essential to the bird’s diet. The diet of an American oystercatcher consists of mussels, clams, oysters, and marine worms. The bird forages by walking in shallow water poking its bill into the sand until it finds food. If they find food with a protective shell, they are able to use their long bill to pry open the shell.
As a ground-nester, they create a shallow scrape on undisturbed sand or dunes which is used as a nest. Pebbles and shells line their nest to make it blend in with the surrounding area. At the park they nest between March and July, laying 1 to 4 buffy gray eggs dotted with brown. All About Birds. “American Oystercatcher: Life History.” Cornell University Lab of Ornithology.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Oystercatcher/lifehistory Audubon. “American Oystercatcher.” Audubon: Guide to North American Birds. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-oystercatcher Nellis, David W. Common Coastal Birds of Florida and the Caribbean. Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press, Inc., 2001. Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge. “American Oystercatcher - Wolf Island - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.” U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. www.fws.gov/refuge/Wolf_Island/wildlife_and_habitat/oystercatcher.html. |
Last updated: May 1, 2020