| Home | Amphibians | Birds | Fish | Mammals | Reptiles |
|
|
|
OYSTER CATCHER, common name for any of about ten species of shorebirds of the family Haematopodidae, which is closely allied to the plovers, and distinguished chiefly by the long, vertically flattened bill, legs of moderate length, and feet with short, thick toes. The common American species is Haematopus palliatus, found along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The bird is 48 cm (19 in) long, has a bright red bill, and is black on the upperparts, with a white underside; it feeds on shore mollusks, crustaceans, and marine worms. The black oyster catcher, H. bachmani, is confined to the Pacific coast of North America. In the Old World, the most widely distributed species is the Eurasian oyster catcher, H. ostralegus. |