American Oystercatcher
Two American Oystercatchers sport yellow leg bands. They are among the first 10 American Oystercatchers ever banded in Connecticut. Photo by Beth Amendola/Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds
July 26, 2018
American Oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
By Helena Ives
I’m nearing the end of my second season working for the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds on Connecticut’s beaches. From my experiences in the past two seasons, I’ve developed an automatic reaction of, “That’s an American Oystercatcher!” when a beach-goer passes me and remarks, “I just saw the craziest looking bird.”
Exactly. American Oystercatchers are a distinctive species of shorebird. And this is a great time to look for them. They are finishing their breeding season now and are preparing to migrate to southern coastal areas.
By the way, summer 2018 was monumental for American Oystercatcher conservation in Connecticut. Our crew at the Audubon Alliance banded the first 10 American Oystercatchers ever in the state. In coming years, those banded birds are likely to provide important information about the seasonal comings and goings, and preferred habitats, of oystercatchers.
What it looks like: In addition to being one of the largest and stockiest shorebirds in Connecticut, American Oystercatcher is easy to distinguish by its unique coloring. Its brown back and wings, black head, and white breast and belly aid in concealing it on the mudflats and other coastal habitats. But what really distinguishes this bird from others and from its surroundings is the bright orange color of the bill and eye ring, and the yellow iris of the eyes. While in flight, the orange bill and the white swatches on the backs of the wings make a quick identification, and the loud whistled “wheep” call can be heard as it flies or meets up with a mate.
As the name hints, American Oystercatchers use their bill, which is about twice the length of its head, to catch shellfish, which are abundant in the shallow waters of Long Island Sound.
Where to find it: In Connecticut, American Oystercatchers can be found in different locations and in different sized groups depending on the time of year. During spring and fall migrations, from early March through early May and from late July through early November respectively, American Oystercatchers gather in large groups in selective places along the coast.
These locations, such as Milford Point and Stratford Point, have large areas of marsh, sandbars, or mudflats allowing the migrating shorebirds to forage in flocks ranging in size from 20 to 80 birds.
During breeding season, breeding pairs and non-breeding individuals will be found in smaller numbers along the coastline. In Connecticut, most of the approximately 60 breeding pairs of oystercatchers nest on offshore island and rocks. Though some are visible by scope or approachable by boat, many of these areas aren’t easily accessible, which happens to be one of the factors for these pairs’ nesting success!
About 10 to 12 pairs of American Oystercatchers breed on the mainland. The birds generally have less success hatching and fledging chicks, due to predation and human disturbance. In my two seasons with the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, there has been only one chick raised on the mainland each season, while pairs on offshore rocks and islands produced 61 chicks last year.
Measurements are taken after the bands are wrapped around the oystercatcher’s legs. Photo by Helena Ives/Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds.
Conservation Status: Since the beginning of the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds in 2012, the number of breeding pairs and successfully fledged chicks in Connecticut has increased. Being very vulnerable to human disturbance and predation, American Oystercatchers have benefited incredibly from having areas of undisturbed nesting habitat on beaches and offshore islands and rocks. Nationally, American Oystercatchers are gradually increasing and are listed as a species of national conservation concern by the National Audubon Society.
American Oystercatchers have been fitted with identifying leg bands in their breeding and wintering habitats along the Atlantic coast. As a result, we now know more about the movements and behaviors of individuals and pairs within a season and between seasons.
In Connecticut, American Oystercatchers banded in other states such as Massachusetts (yellow upper leg bands) and Georgia (red upper leg bands) have been identified for a number of years.
As I mentioned above, the Audubon Alliance banded the first 10 oystercatchers ever in Connecticut this summer, making it a truly important season for American Oystercatcher conservation in the state.
Those birds will provide biologists and conservation organizations with opportunities to advance their knowledge of the species and adapt conservation strategies to best manage for population growth.
It’s been an incredible summer contributing to the conservation of these birds, and we’re really excited to see where our banded American Oystercatchers are found again!
