The American oystercatcher is a large, stocky shorebird with a distinctive long, blade-like, reddish-orange bill. (David Maher/Flickr)
The American oystercatcher is a large, stocky shorebird with a distinctive long, blade-like, reddish-orange bill. It lives on beaches, mud flats and exposed oyster bars along the lower Chesapeake Bay.
Appearance:
Large, stocky body
Brownish back
White belly
Black head
Long, straight, reddish-orange bill
Yellow eyes with an orange ring around them
Large white patches on the wings, tail and rump
Pale pink legs
Grows to 19 inches
Habitat:
Lives on beaches, mud flats and exposed oyster bars
Range:
Visits the lower Chesapeake Bay from spring through autumn
Particularly common along the lower Eastern Shore
Migrates southward in winter
Feeding:
Eats oysters and other mollusks, as well as fiddler crabs
Probes through sand and mud to find its prey
Thrusts its powerful, blade-like bill between a mollusk’s open shells and stabs the mollusk’s adductor muscle, then feeds on the meat
Will also use its bill to hammer a mollusk’s shell until it cracks
Predators:
Vulnerable to attacks from gulls
Sensitive to beach disturbances by humans
Flight:
Can be identified in flight by its broad, white wing stripe and long, bright orange bill
Voice:
Very noisy birds
Makes a shrill wheep or kleep, as well as loud pic pic pics
Nests in spring on sandy areas along the Bay’s shoreline, particularly around Tangier Sound
Adults make a shallow depression in the sand that the line with crushed shells and other beach debris. Oystercatchers will build as many as five nests to confuse predators.
The female lays 2-4 sandy-colored eggs into the nest. Both parents take care of the nest and eggs.
Juveniles have a mottled appearance that differs slightly from adults’ plumage
Other Facts:
Oystercatchers were nearly hunted to extinction in the 19th century for their plumage
