Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Loud, orange-billed, and unmistakable. Pries open shellfish with a tool no postal worker could match.

Population: ~500,000–1,030,000 mature individuals (three subspecies combined), declining
Habitat: Breeds on coastal saltmarshes, sand and shingle beaches, dunes, rocky/short-grass cliff-tops, and inland on lowland plains near rivers, lakes, and farmland; winters mainly on estuarine mudflats, saltmarshes, and rocky/sandy shores
Fun fact: Individual Eurasian Oystercatchers specialize in one of two distinct bill techniques for opening shellfish — hammering/stabbing (broad bill tip) or prising, or digging for worms (pointed bill tip) — a skill learned from a parent and reflected in the shape of the bill tip.
Range: Breeds across western Europe (including Iceland) through Scandinavia and northwestern Russia to Kamchatka, China, and Korea; winters from southern Europe and North Africa to West Africa, and Asian populations winter from southwest Asia and India to eastern China
Diet: Primarily bivalve molluscs such as mussels and cockles, pried or hammered open with its strong bill, plus earthworms and other invertebrates dug from soft ground; despite the name, true oysters make up only a minor part of the diet
Size: 0.43 m
Wingspan: 0.82 m
Lifespan: 40 years

More Cranes & Waders