American Oystercatcher [Haematopus palliatus]
Description
The American Oystercatcher is a large, stocky, shorebird. It is marked by its black and white body and a long, thick orange beak. This bird, which ranges from 40–44 cm in length, has a lifespan between 15 and 20 years. It can be found along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North and South America. The American Oystercatcher is a wading bird, and it can be found on the shoreline of beaches and saltwater lagoons where it feeds on hard-shelled mollusks such as oysters, clams, and mussels which it opens by hammering them open with its large beak.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Birds
Aves
|
| Order |
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Charadriiformes
|
| Family |
Oystercatchers
Haematopodidae
|
| Genus |
American Oystercatcher
Haematopus
|