# American Oystercatcher

Scientific name: Haematopus palliatus

Bird group: [oystercatcher](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/oystercatcher)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/112/American-Oystercatcher

## Identification

The American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), occasionally called the American pied oystercatcher, is a member of family Haematopodidae. Originally called the "sea pie", it was renamed in 1731 when naturalist Mark Catesby observed the bird eating oysters. The current population of American oystercatchers is estimated to be 43,000. There are estimated to be 1,500 breeding pairs along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the US. The bird is marked by its black and white body and a long, thick orange beak.
The American oystercatcher has distinctive black and white plumage and a long, bright orange beak. The head and breast are black and the back, wings and tail greyish-black. The underparts are white, as are feathers on the inner part of the wing which become visible during flight. The irises are yellow and the eyes have orange orbital rings. The legs are pink. Adults are between 42–52 cm (17–20 in) in length.


## Distribution and habitat

The American Oystercatcher occurs from the eastern coast of 
the United States south through 
Central and South America 
including the West Indies 
(Raffaele and others 1998). 
It is an uncommon and local 
species in Puerto Rico, Culebra, 
Desecheo, Mona (Oberle 2018, 
Ventosa-Febles and others 2005), 
Vieques (Gemmill 2015, Oberle 
2018), and small cays around the 
islands, and is even considered 
migratory on Puerto Rico due 
to its rarity on the coast (Biaggi 
1997). On Vieques, its abundance 
changes with season, ranging 
from uncommon resident in 
spring to extremely rare in fall and winter (Gemmill 2015). 
This is a shorebird restricted to 
marine habitats including stony 
and sandy beaches, coastal salt 
marshes, and offshore islands 
and cays (Raffaele and others 
1998). The atlas fieldwork 
yielded a total of 85 records 
within 58 hexagons or 12 
percent of the 479 total hexagons 
(see map). Of the 58 hexagons 
where this species was found, 
breeding met the atlas definition 
of confirmed in 16 percent (9) 
of the hexagons, probable in 45 
percent (26), and possible in 36 
percent (21), while the species 
was observed in 3 percent (2) 
of the hexagons but without 
evidence of breeding (see map). American Oystercatcher distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones 
in Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.      103American Oystercatcher/Ostrero

## Breeding

This species nests on sand, pebbles, or coral rubble beaches 
from May to July, according to 
previously published reports 
(Raffaele and others 1998). 
Atlas results indicate that the 
American Oystercatcher breeding 
season extends throughout the 
year, but it is most active from 
April to July with a peak during 
April and June (see chart). 
Results show that the American 
Oystercatcher breeds within subtropical dry and subtropical 
moist forest life zones (52 and 
48 percent of the hexagons, 
respectively) (see table and 
map).The seasonal pattern of 
breeding appears to coincide in 
each of the ecological life zones 
with no evidence to suggest that 
breeding times differ between 
the life zones. 

## Conservation

The American Oystercatcher is listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN (BirdLife 
International 2016). Locally, this 
species is listed as vulnerable 
(PRDNER 2015). In Puerto Rico, 
the American Oystercatcher has 
a protected habitat in land of 11 
percent or 150 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons 
where evidence of breeding 
was found for this species 
(1338 km2). 

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_112_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_112_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.