Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus Linnaeus, 1758

40–45 cmLength82 cmWingspan526 gWeight

It is a noisy, boldly black-and-white wader with a long, straight orange-red bill and red eyes.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland

Near Threatened

How to identify

Field marks

Black-and-white feathers
Bill long, straight and orange-red
Eyes red; legs dark pink and rather short
White patches on wings and tail in flight; back black, belly white

Male, female and young

Sexes similar in plumage; female has a slightly longer bill. Juvenile is rufous-tinged, with a white collar and a darker bill.

Voice

A loud, distinctive, thin, high-pitched piping call.

Where and when it's recorded

Eurasian Oystercatcher has been recorded at 1,112 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 87 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom7,452 records
Minsmere RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom3,705 records
Spurn Bird Observatory Recording AreaUnited Kingdom3,342 records

More places

Teesside South GareUnited Kingdom2,982 records
Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT NR – Cley Marshes including Hides and Visitor CentreUnited Kingdom2,425 records
North ForelandUnited Kingdom2,296 records
Seaforth LWT NRUnited Kingdom2,074 records
Frampton Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom2,058 records
GirdlenessUnited Kingdom2,041 records
Snettisham RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom1,906 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom Spain Ireland Isle of Man Iceland Norway Sweden Netherlands

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 Eurasian oystercatcher or European oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), also known as the common pied oystercatcher, or (in Europe) just oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. The sexes are similar in appearance but the bill of the female is longer than that of the male.

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

Questions

How big is the Eurasian Oystercatcher?

The Eurasian Oystercatcher is about 40–45 cm long, with a wingspan of 82 cm and weighs around 526 g.

Where does the Eurasian Oystercatcher live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: northwestern, southwestern, central Palearctic; far northeastern Palearctic. It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, Spain and Ireland.

When is the best time to see the Eurasian Oystercatcher?

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

Is the Eurasian Oystercatcher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Eurasian Oystercatcher as Near Threatened.

What does the Eurasian Oystercatcher eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Eurasian Oystercatcher in?

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

At a glance

Length: 40–45 cm
Wingspan: 82 cm
Weight: 526 g
Habitat: Coast & tidal flats
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Near Threatened

More measurements

Wing: 250 mm
Tail: 106 mm
Bill: 76 mm
Tarsus: 50 mm

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

Range

Palearctic: northwestern, southwestern, central Palearctic; far northeastern Palearctic

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 2

Haematopus ostralegus buturlini w Kazakhstan to nw Xinjiang (nw China) | non-breeding: to sw Asia and India
Haematopus ostralegus osculans coastal Kamchatka, Sea of Okhotsk (se Russia), coastal and inland n Korean Pen., ne China and Kinmen I. (off Fujian Province, e China) | non-breeding: to e China