Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black Oystercatcher

Haematopus bachmani Audubon, 1838

582 gWeight

The black oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) is a conspicuous black bird found on the shoreline of western North America, ranging from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to the coast of the Baja California peninsula.

Busiest months: September and November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: September and November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Black Oystercatcher has been recorded at 68 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Southeast Farallon IslandUnited States16,412 records
  2. Pt. Pinos – seawatch onlyUnited States11,901 records
  3. Pillar Point HarborUnited States5,917 records
More places
  1. Heron's Head ParkUnited States5,676 records
  2. Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal JettyCanada5,449 records
  3. Clover PointCanada4,794 records
  4. Rocky Point Bird ObservatoryCanada4,747 records
  5. Pt. PinosUnited States4,495 records
  6. Esquimalt LagoonCanada4,036 records
  7. Oak Bay – Cattle PointCanada3,249 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesCanadaMexico

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 black oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) is a conspicuous black bird found on the shoreline of western North America, ranging from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to the coast of the Baja California peninsula.

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

Questions

How big is the Black Oystercatcher?

The Black Oystercatcher weighs around 582 g.

Where does the Black Oystercatcher live?

Its breeding range: North America, Middle America: coastal eastern North Pacific from western Aleutian Islands to west-central Baja California (northwestern Mexico). It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.

When is the best time to see the Black Oystercatcher?

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

What does the Black Oystercatcher eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Black Oystercatcher in?

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

At a glance

Weight
582 g
Habitat
Coast & tidal flats
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
More measurements
Wing
247 mm
Tail
99 mm
Bill
78 mm
Tarsus
50 mm

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

Range

North America, Middle America: coastal eastern North Pacific from western Aleutian Islands to west-central Baja California (northwestern Mexico)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Oystercatchers Haematopodidae
Genus
Haematopus

Other birds in the genus Haematopus

Magellanic OystercatcherMagellanic OystercatcherHaematopus leucopodusBlackish OystercatcherBlackish OystercatcherHaematopus aterAmerican OystercatcherAmerican OystercatcherHaematopus palliatusAfrican OystercatcherAfrican OystercatcherHaematopus moquiniEurasian OystercatcherEurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusSouth Island OystercatcherSouth Island OystercatcherHaematopus finschiPied OystercatcherPied OystercatcherHaematopus longirostrisVariable OystercatcherVariable OystercatcherHaematopus unicolorChatham Islands OystercatcherChatham Islands OystercatcherHaematopus chathamensisSooty OystercatcherSooty OystercatcherHaematopus fuliginosus
Black Oystercatcher

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Mike Baird. ↗

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