Oystercatcher Bird Facts | Haematopus Ostralegus

How to identify

The Oystercatcher is a large, stocky, black and white wading bird. It has an orange-red bill and reddish-pink legs. In flight it shows a wide, white wing-stripe, a black tail and a white rump that extends as a 'V' between the wings. Because it eats cockles, the population is vulnerable if cockle beds are overfished. They breed on almost all UK coasts. During the last 50 years, more birds have started breeding inland. Most UK birds spend the winter on the coast where they are joined on the east coast by birds from Norway.