Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 16.5–18.5 in
42–47 cm - Weight
- 17.6–24.7 oz
500–700 g
Other Names
- Huîtrier de Bachman (French)
- Ostrero negro (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Black Oystercatchers from Alaska to about Oregon are entirely black, but southward from there birds show increasing amounts of white feathers and browner (less black) abdomens.
Habitat
Shore-line
Rocky seacoasts and islands, less commonly sandy beaches.
Food
Insects
Molluscs, especially mussels and limpets
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–4 eggs
- Condition at Hatching
- Downy and active, able to leave nest as soon as down dries.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Probing
Conservation
Least Concern
Common and widespread.
Credits
- Andres, B. A., and G. A. Falxa. 1995. Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani). In The Birds of North America No. 155 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C.