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Eurasian Oystercatcher

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Birds

                           iEurasian Oystercatcher

                             Conservation status

   Least Concern (LC)
                          Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Aves
   Order:   Charadriiformes
   Family:  Haematopodidae
   Genus:   Haematopus
   Species: H. ostralegus

                                Binomial name

   Haematopus ostralegus
   (Linnaeus, 1758)
   Eurasian Oystercatcher range. Yellow = summer only, blue = winter only,
   green = all-year resident.
   Eurasian Oystercatcher range. Yellow = summer only, blue = winter only,
   green = all-year resident.

   The Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, also known as the
   Common Pied Oystercatcher, or (in Europe) just Oystercatcher, is a
   wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It is the most
   widespread of the oystercatchers, with three races breeding in western
   Europe, central Eurasia, Kamchatka, China, and Western coast of Korea.
   No other oystercatcher occurs within this area.

   This is a migratory species over most of its range. The European
   population breeds mainly in northern Europe, but in winter the birds
   can be found in north Africa and southernmost Europe. Although the
   species is present all year in Ireland, Great Britain and the adjacent
   European coasts, there is still migratory movement: for example the
   large flocks that are found the estuaries of south-west England in
   winter mainly breed in northern England or Scotland. Similar movements
   are shown by the Asian populations. The birds are highly gregarious
   outside the breeding season.
   Group at a high tide roost
   Enlarge
   Group at a high tide roost

   These are large obvious and noisy plover-like birds, with black and
   white plumage, red legs and strong broad red bills used for smashing or
   prising open molluscs such as mussels or for finding earthworms.
   Despite its name, oysters do not form a large part of its diet, but few
   if any other wading birds are capable of opening oysters at all.

   The bill shape varies; oystercatchers with broad bill tips open
   molluscs by prising them apart or hammering through the shell, whereas
   pointed-bill birds dig up worms. Much of this is due to the wear
   resulting from feeding on the prey. Thus when birds move inland to
   breed and thus shift from feeding on molluscs to worms their bill shape
   changes from flat to pointed.
   Oystercatcher in flight
   Enlarge
   Oystercatcher in flight

   This oystercatcher is unmistakable in flight, with white patches in the
   wings and tail, otherwise black upperparts, and white underparts. Young
   birds are browner, have a white neck collar, and a duller bill. The
   call is a distinctive loud piping.

   The nest is a bare scrape on pebbles, on the coast or on inland
   gravelly islands. 2-4 eggs are laid. Both eggs and chicks are highly
   cryptic.

   Because of its large numbers and readily identified behaviour, the
   Oystercatcher is an important indicator species for the health of the
   ecosystems where it congregates. Extensive long-term studies have been
   carried out on its foraging behaviour, in northern Germany, in the
   Netherlands and particularly on the River Exe estuary in south-west
   England, and these form an important part of the foundation of the
   modern discipline of behavioural ecology.
   A 1977 stamp from the Faroe Islands depicting the Tjaldur
   Enlarge
   A 1977 stamp from the Faroe Islands depicting the Tjaldur

   The Oystercatcher is the national bird of the Faroe Islands.

   Enlarge

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Oystercatcher"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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