American oystercatcher
American oystercatcher | |
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American oystercatcher pair with chick at Fort Tilden, New York | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Charadriiformes |
Family: | Haematopodidae |
Genus: | Haematopus |
Species: | H. palliatus
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Binomial name | |
Haematopus palliatus Temminck, 1820
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Year-round
Breeding
Nonbreeding
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The American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), occasionally called the American pied oystercatcher, or PiruPiru, is a member of
Description
The American oystercatcher has distinctive black and white plumage and a long, bright orange beak. The head and breast are black and the back, wings and tail greyish-black. The underparts are white, as are feathers on the inner part of the wing which become visible during flight. The irises are yellow and the eyes have orange orbital rings. The legs are pink. Adults are between 42–52 cm (17–20 in) in length.[4]
Distribution
The American oystercatcher is found on the Atlantic coast of
During the breeding season, these birds are found along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and from Massachusetts south to Argentina and Chile.[6] In winter, they are found in flocks along the coast from central New Jersey to the Gulf of Mexico.[7]
Habitat
During the breeding season, the American oystercatcher can be found in coastal habitats including sand or shell beaches, dunes, salt marshes, marsh islands, mudflats, and dredge spoil islands made of sand or gravel.[8] During migration and winter, they are found feeding in mud or salt flats that are exposed by the tide. They are also found on shellfish beaches at this time.[8]
Behavior
Oystercatchers are closely tied to coastal habitats. They nest on beaches on coastal islands and feed on
Feeding
The American oystercatcher feeds almost exclusively on shellfish and other marine invertebrates.[8] Oysters are a staple of their diet, as their name suggests, but they also eat mussels, clams, limpets, sea urchins, starfish, crabs, and worms.[8] In general, they use their bills to catch shellfish. As they walk across a shellfish bed, they look for a mollusk with a partially opened shell. When they find one, they jab their bill into the shell and sever the muscle that causes the shell to clamp shut.[8] This can be dangerous, however, as they are sometimes drowned when they don't completely sever this muscle and the shell clamps down on their bill. A strong, tightly rooted mollusk can hold the bird in place until the tide comes in.[8] They also feed by carrying loose shellfish out of the water and hammering at the shell or by probing the sand for soft-shell or razor clams.[8]
Mating
American oystercatchers first breed at an age of 3–4 years.[6]
When courting, the birds will walk together and make a single piping note. This progresses to leaning towards each other, extending and lowering the neck, and running alongside each other while calling.[8] The pair may then burst into flight and fly in a tight formation around their territory.[8]
Reproduction
Nests
American oystercatchers breed between April and July.
Although the eggs are well camouflaged, they are vulnerable to predation by raccoons, coyotes, skunks, gulls, crows, rats, and foxes.[2]
Both parents will alternate incubating the eggs for 25 to 27 days.[9]
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One parent tending eggs Cape May Point State Park, USA
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20 minutes later, its mate assumes incubation duties.
Chicks
When born, the chicks are covered in tan down
Status
Historically, the American oystercatcher was hunted to near extinction in the 19th century for plumage and eggs.
Gallery
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In flight in western Florida
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Nesting on Santiago Island, Galápagos Islands
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Two standing near their eggs in a nest on the Atlantic coast, New Jersey, USA
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Eggs
References
- ^ . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "American Oystercatcher". American Bird Conservancy. 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Thibault J, Sanders F, Jodice P. 2010. Parental Attendance and Brood Success in American Oystercatchers in South Carolina. Waterbirds 33:511-517.
- ^ "American oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus". USGS. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
- ^ "Species factsheet: Haematopus palliatus". BirdLife International. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
- ^ a b c d "American Oystercatcher - Haematopus palliatus". New Hampshire PBS Nature Works. 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ "American Oystercatcher". Audubon. Archived from the original on November 26, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "American Oystercatcher Overview". All about Birds. Cornell University. 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Florida's breeding bird atlas: a collaborative study of Florida's birdlife". Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 2003. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
External links
- American Oystercatcher videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
- American Oystercatcher Bird Sound