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Animal profile

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

AvesEstuaries, mudflats, rocky shores and, increasingly, inland fieldsNear Threatened

Field profile

The Eurasian oystercatcher is a bold black-and-white wader with a long orange bill and pink legs. It feeds mainly on shellfish and worms on estuaries and shores. Individuals specialise in particular feeding techniques that they keep for life.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-08-01

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Oystercatchers are either stabbers or hammerers

Individual oystercatchers specialise. Some slip the bill between the valves of a mussel and cut the muscle; others hammer through the shell. The two techniques wear the bill into different shapes, and a bird generally keeps its method for life.

Read with evidence →

Eurasian Oystercatcher | Daily Animal Facts