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Haematopodidae - oystercatchers

Oystercatchers are shorebirds with long, strong, pointed orange or red bills that they use to open oysters and other bivalves. They also eat fish and crabs. Most species are black or dark brown with white undersides. Males and females look alike. Oystercatchers live on coasts in all areas of the world, except for the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Oystercatchers nest in a scrape on the ground. The female lays 1-3 eggs. Both the female and the male incubate the eggs. During the breeding season, oystercatchers are very territorial.

There species in this family include the black oystercatcher, the South Island oystercatcher, the sooty oystercatcher, the pied oystercatcher, the African oystercatcher, the Eurasian oystercatcher, and the American oystercatcher. One species, the Canarian black oystercatcher, is extinct.

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in Wild Extinct
Status taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status, or there is no status data for the species.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

New Hampshire Species

North/Central American Species

None

American Oystercatcher - Haematopus palliatus
Black Oystercatcher - Haematopus bachmani

Species Around the World
Location Key Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North/Central America South America NH Species
Blackish Oystercatcher - Haematopus ater Black Oystercatcher - Haematopus bachmani Chatham Oystercatcher - Haematopus chathamensis Sooty Oystercatcher - Haematopus fuliginosus Magellanic Oystercatcher - Haematopus leucopodus		Pied Oystercatcher - Haematopus longirostris Canary Islands Oystercatcher - Haematopus meadewaldoi African Oystercatcher - Haematopus moquini Eurasian Oystercatcher - Haematopus ostralegus American Oystercatcher - Haematopus palliatus Variable Oystercatcher - Haematopus unicolor
Additional Information Resource Key Profile Photos Video Audio African Oystercatcher - Haematopus moquini The African oystercatcher is found in Namibia and South Africa. Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School American Oystercatcher - Haematopus palliatus The American oystercatcher is found along the Atlantic Coast from southern New England south to South America. It is also found in the Gulf Coast and on the Pacific Coast north to Southern California. Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School American Oystercatcher - Haematopus palliatus The American oystercatcher is the largest shorebird in the Americas. Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Black Oystercatcher - Haematopus bachmani The black oystercatcher is found on the Pacific Coast of Canada and the United States. Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Chatham Oystercatcher - Haematopus chathamensis The Chatham oystercatcher is found in the Chatham Islands in New Zealand Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Eurasian Oystercatcher - Haematopus ostralegus The Eurasian oystercatcher is found throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Magellanic Oystercatcher - Haematopus leucopodus The Magellanic oystercatcher is found in Argentina, Chile, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Haematopodidae - oystercatchers

New Hampshire Species

North/Central American Species

Species Around the World

Additional Information

Explore the Natural World - Local & National PBS Video