Oystercatcher

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Oystercatchers" is also a novel by Susan Fletcher.
Oystercatchers
American Black Oystercatcher(Haematopus bachmani)
American Black Oystercatcher
(Haematopus bachmani)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Haematopodidae
Bonaparte, 1838
Genus: Haematopus
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

H. leucopodus
H. ater
H. bachmani
H. palliatus
H. meadewaldoi
H. moquini
H. ostralegus
H. longirostris
H. finschi
H. chathamensis
H. unicolor
H. fuliginosus

The oystercatchers are a group of waders; they form the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, Haematopus. They are large obvious and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prying open molluscs.

In some species, the bill shape varies according to the diet. Those birds with blade-like bill tips pry open or smash mollusc shells, and those with pointed bill tips tend to probe for annelid worms.

They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions. They are all-black, black and white or brown and white in appearance.

Species in taxonomic order
Common name Binomial Image
Magellanic Oystercatcher H. leucopodus
Blackish Oystercatcher H. ater
American Black Oystercatcher H. bachmani
American Oystercatcher H. palliatus
Canarian Black Oystercatcher H. meadewaldoi †
African Black Oystercatcher H. moquini
Eurasian Oystercatcher H. ostralegus
Pied Oystercatcher H. longirostris
South Island Pied Oystercatcher H. finschi
Chatham Island Oystercatcher H. chathamensis
Variable Oystercatcher H. unicolor
Sooty Oystercatcher H. fuliginosus

[edit] External links