A large, thickset shorebird with a long, stout bill, a large head, robust neck, and long, thick legs.
Relative Size
Larger than a Willet, smaller than a Herring Gull.
crow-sizedA large, thickset shorebird with a long, stout bill, a large head, robust neck, and long, thick legs.
Larger than a Willet, smaller than a Herring Gull.
crow-sizedCompared with the Atlantic form (palliatus) the northernmost Pacific subspecies (frazari, rare in California) is darker above, lacks white in the inner primaries, and often shows dark mottling below. All of these plumage features could be a result of occasional hybridization with Black Oystercatcher.
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