The oyster catcher or Oystercatcher is a chunky shorebird of the family Haematopodidae, with a laterally flattened, heavy, strikingly orange-red coloured bill that can pry open mollusc shells. The common oyster catcher or sea-pie (Haematopus ostralegus) inhabits Europe and central Asia. It has a black head, neck and mantle, the lower part of the back, the base of the tail and the under surface are all white. The beak is long, nearly straight, wedge-shaped and a bright orange-red colour. It is found generally on the coast but will also ascend rivers for some distance, feeding on shore molluscs, marine worms, small fish and other marine animals. The black and white American oyster catcher (Haematopus palliatus) is found on the Atlantic and south Pacific coasts. Research Oyster Catcher
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Haematopus
