SHOREBIRDS
Most Shorebirds walk along shores probing for food with their thin sensitive bills. Bill length varies considerably so differing species can work the same shore and obtain different
food supplies. Shorebirds include sandpipers, godwits, stilts, oystercatchers, plovers, and many more. Shorebirds belong to the Charadriiformes order which also includes the Gulls
and Allies.
Note: the term Shorebirds is used in the Americas; elsewhere "waders" is used. We will reserve "waders" for herons and allies.
Some Charadriiformes families:
Burhinidae: thick-knees; Charadriidae: small plovers, lapwings; Glareolidae: courses, pratincoles; Haematopodidae: oystercatchers
Jacanidae: jacanas; Recurvirostridae: avocets, stilts; Scolopacidae: small bill sandpipers, large bill sandpipers.
Note: the term Shorebirds is used in the Americas; elsewhere "waders" is used. We will reserve "waders" for herons and allies.
Some Charadriiformes families:
Burhinidae: thick-knees; Charadriidae: small plovers, lapwings; Glareolidae: courses, pratincoles; Haematopodidae: oystercatchers
Jacanidae: jacanas; Recurvirostridae: avocets, stilts; Scolopacidae: small bill sandpipers, large bill sandpipers.
Oystercatchers
Order Charadriiformes Family Haematopodidae - 1 genus
Oystercatchers have long and thick orange or red bills. The bill shape varies between species, according to the diet. Those birds with blade-like bill tips pry open or smash mollusc shells, and those with pointed bill tips probe for worms and larvae. They have black upperparts and white or black underparts.
Genus Haematopus
Oystercatcher,_African (Black) Haematopus moquini Found: Africa
The African Black Oystercatcher has a black body; orange-red to red bill, eyes, eye-ring; pinkish-red legs.
Similar to: Eurasian Oystercatcher. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Image by: 1, 2, 3 ) Dick Daniels - De Hoop, South Africa 5) Dick - Plettenberg Bay, South Africa 4) Sandy Cole - De Hoop, South Africa 6) Cristiano Crolle - Paternoster, South Africa Similar to: Eurasian Oystercatcher. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Oystercatcher,_American Haematopus palliatus Found: The Americas
The American Oystercatcher has pied coloring; orange-red bill, yellow eyes, orange eye-ring; pink legs.
Similar to: American Black Oystercater. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Similar to: Magellanic Oystercatcher. Range may overlap in southern South America. Magellanic Oystercatcher is darker; American Oystercatcher has more white on the shoulder.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Dick Daniels - North Carolina 7, 8) Nick Athanas - Ecuador, Chile 9) Dick - ChileSimilar to: American Black Oystercater. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Similar to: Magellanic Oystercatcher. Range may overlap in southern South America. Magellanic Oystercatcher is darker; American Oystercatcher has more white on the shoulder.
Oystercatcher,_Black also American Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani Found: North America (west coast)
The African Black Oystercatcher has a black body; red bill; yellow eyes; red eye-ring; pink legs.
Similar to: American Oystercater. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - California 5) Becky_Matsubara - CASimilar to: American Oystercater. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Oystercatcher,_Blackish Haematopus ater Found: South America
The African Black Oystercatcher has a black wings; dark brown back; red bill, eyes; white legs.
Similar to: Magellanic Oystercater. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Nick Athanas - Peru, Peru, Falkland Islands 4) Dick Daniels 5) Charlie Westerinen - Argentina 6) Francesco Veronesi - ChileSimilar to: Magellanic Oystercater. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
1) Juvenile and adult
Oystercatcher,_Chatham Haematopus chathamensis Found: Chatham Islands, New Zealand
Image by: 1) Peter Crosson 2) Bret Stevenson
Oystercatcher,_Eurasian also Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
The Eurasian Oystercatcher has pied coloring; red bill, eyes, eye-ring; pink legs.
Similar to: African Black Oystercatcher. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Image by: 1) John Haslam 2) Charlie Westerinen - Reine, Norway 3) Dick Daniels - Scotland 4) Smudge_9000 5) Andreas_Trepte 6) Cristiano Crolle - Texel, Holland Similar to: African Black Oystercatcher. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Oystercatcher,_Magellanic Haematopus leucopodus Found: South America (Argentina, Chile, Falkland Islands)
The Magellanic Oystercatcher has pied coloring; red bill; yellow eyes, eye-ring; whitish legs.
Similar to: American Oystercatcher. Range may overlap in southern South America. Magellanic Oystercatcher is darker; American Oystercatcher has more white on the shoulder.
Similar to: Blackish Oystercater. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Nick Athanas - Chile, Argentina, Argentian 4) D Faulder - the Falkland Islands 5) Brian Ralphs - Patagonia 6) Charlie Westerinen - Begal Channel of south Argentina 7) Elizabeth OliverSimilar to: American Oystercatcher. Range may overlap in southern South America. Magellanic Oystercatcher is darker; American Oystercatcher has more white on the shoulder.
Similar to: Blackish Oystercater. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
1) Oystercatcher and Hudsonian Godwit
Oystercatcher,_Pied Haematopus longirostris Found: Australia
The Pied Oystercatcher has pied coloring; orange-red bill, eye-ring; red eyes, legs.
Similar to: Sooty Oystercatcher. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Image by: 1, 3) Laurie_Boyle 2) Dick Daniels - Australia 4) JJ
- Tasmania, Australia Similar to: Sooty Oystercatcher. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Oystercatcher,_Sooty Haematopus fuliginosus Found: Australasia
The African Black Oystercatcher has a black body; red bill, eyes, eye-ring; pink legs.
Similar to: Pied Oystercatcher. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Image by: 1, 2) JJ Harrison - Tasmania, Australia 3) Glen
Fergus on Ladt Elliot Island, Australia 4) Charlie Westerinen - Wollongong, Australia 5) Andrej_Chudy - New Zealand Similar to: Pied Oystercatcher. One is pied and the other black, so identification should be no problem.
Oystercatcher,_South Island also South Island Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus finschi Found: New Zealand
The South Island Oystercatcher has pied coloring; orange to red bill, orange eye-ring; pink legs.
Similar to: Variable Oystercatcher. The South Island Oystercatcher has well defined boundaries between black and white; Variable Oystercatcher has blurry boundaries between any black and white areas.
Image by: 1) Paul Davey - New Zealand 2) Sid_Mosdell 3, 4) Seabird NZ Similar to: Variable Oystercatcher. The South Island Oystercatcher has well defined boundaries between black and white; Variable Oystercatcher has blurry boundaries between any black and white areas.
Oystercatcher,_Variable Haematopus unicolor Endemic to New Zealand
The Variable Oystercatcher has black upperparts; variable underparts from all black to black-and-white; red bill; orange eye-ring; pink legs.
Similar to: South Island Oystercatcher. The South Island Oystercatcher has well defined boundaries between black and white; Variable Oystercatcher has blurry boundaries between any black and white areas.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - New Zealand 2) Bernard_SpraggSimilar to: South Island Oystercatcher. The South Island Oystercatcher has well defined boundaries between black and white; Variable Oystercatcher has blurry boundaries between any black and white areas.
1, 2) Black variant 3, 4) Mottled variant
More Oystercatchers - Cape Fear River, March 25, 2008
This family has only one genus, and that has only one species.
Genus Ibidorhyncha - 1 species
Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii Found: central Asia
The Ibisbill has gray upperparts; white underparts; long down-curved bill; black face, breast-band; white belly; red legs.
Image by: 1, 2) Ron Knight 3) Vishal Sabharwal - India 4) Koshy_Koshy
