American Oystercatcher

About the American Oystercatcher

A big, boldly marked shorebird impossible to overlook, the American Oystercatcher has a blackish head, a brown back, clean white underparts, a staring yellow eye ringed in red-orange, and a long, heavy, blade-like bright orange bill. Chunky and loud, it is a true bird of the coast.

That remarkable bill is a specialized tool for prying open and hammering into oysters, clams, and mussels, and the birds work the oyster reefs, mudflats, and beaches for shellfish and marine worms, giving loud, piping calls.

In Texas the American Oystercatcher is a year-round resident of the coast, favoring oyster reefs, bay shorelines, and barrier-island beaches, where pairs hold territory and are often seen probing the exposed flats at low tide.

A note from behind the lens: low tide on an oyster reef or a quiet beach is the moment. Approach slowly and get down to sand level, keep the background clean, and let that outrageous orange bill and yellow-and-red eye pop against the muted flats.