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  • Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher
Oystercatcher
  • Scientific name: Haematopus ostralegus
  • Bird family: Oystercatchers
  • UK conservation status: Amber
  • Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Oystercatcher call audio

Your browser does not support this audio feature.

Patrik Åberg, Xeno-canto

Key information

The oystercatcher is a large, stocky, black and white wading bird. It has a long, orange-red bill and reddish-pink legs. In flight it shows a wide, white wing-stripe, a black tail and a white rump that extends as a 'V' between the wings.

Because it eats cockles, the population is vulnerable if cockle beds are overexploited.

They breed on almost all UK coasts. During the last 50 years, more birds have started breeding inland. Most UK birds spend the winter on the coast where they are joined on the east coast by birds from Norway.

What they eat:

Mussels and cockles on the coast, mainly worms inland.

Measurements:

Length:
40-45cm
Wingspan:
80-86cm
Weight:
430-650g

Population:

UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.
UK breeding:
110,000 pairs
UK wintering:
340,000 birds

Identifying features:

Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher illustration
Feather colour: Black White
Leg colour: Pink Red
Beak: Orange Red Long Powerful Medium thickness
Natural habitats: Farmland Grassland Marine and intertidal Upland Wetland

Where and when to see them

It's possible to see oystercatchers on almost all coasts of the UK. Look for breeding birds in summer at RSPB coastal reserves. In winter, you can see large numbers on major estuaries, such as Morecambe Bay.

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Summer
  • Winter
Oystercatcher distribution map

You can see oystercatchers all year round.

  • jan
  • feb
  • mar
  • apr
  • may
  • jun
  • jul
  • aug
  • sep
  • oct
  • nov
  • dec

RSPB reserves

  • RSPB Hayle Estuary
  • RSPB Cattawade Marshes
  • RSPB Adur Estuary
  • RSPB Freiston Shore
  • RSPB Dee Estuary - Point of Ayr
  • RSPB Brodgar

Video

A closer look at oystercatchers.

A closer look at oystercatchers.

Oystercatchers video screenshot

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