American Oystercatcher

Haematopus palliatus Temminck, 1820

42–52 cmLength602 gWeight

The American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), occasionally called the American pied oystercatcher, is a member of family Haematopodidae.

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Chile, Peru

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

American Oystercatcher has been recorded at 416 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 41 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Cape Island – South Cape May MeadowsUnited States10,684 records
Milford Point, CT AudubonUnited States9,810 records
Fort De Soto ParkUnited States8,433 records

More places

Edwin B. Forsythe NWRUnited States7,446 records
Sandy HookUnited States6,993 records
Cape Island – Cape May Point SPUnited States6,001 records
Plumb BeachUnited States5,894 records
Jamaica Bay Wildlife RefugeUnited States5,680 records
Chincoteague NWRUnited States5,413 records
Edwin B. Forsythe NWR – Wildlife DriveUnited States5,266 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Chile Peru Uruguay Argentina Ecuador Mexico Colombia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), occasionally called the American pied oystercatcher, is a member of family Haematopodidae. Originally called the "sea pie", it was renamed in 1731 when naturalist Mark Catesby claimed that he had observed the bird eating oysters. The current population of American oystercatchers is estimated to be 50,000 – 99,999 mature individuals.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the American Oystercatcher?

The American Oystercatcher is about 42–52 cm long and weighs around 602 g.

Where does the American Oystercatcher live?

Its breeding range: North America, Middle America, South America: widespread coastal western Mexico to south-central Chile; coastal northeastern USA to northern Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula; Caribbean (local) to southern Argentina. It is most often recorded in United States, Chile and Peru.

When is the best time to see the American Oystercatcher?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the American Oystercatcher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the American Oystercatcher as Least Concern.

What does the American Oystercatcher eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the American Oystercatcher in?

It belongs to the family Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: 42–52 cm
Weight: 602 g
Habitat: Coast & tidal flats
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 247 mm
Tail: 96 mm
Bill: 86 mm
Tarsus: 54 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America, Middle America, South America: widespread coastal western Mexico to south-central Chile; coastal northeastern USA to northern Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula; Caribbean (local) to southern Argentina

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2