European Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegus
Silhouette: Wouter Koch · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyHaematopodidae (Oystercatchers)
- GenusHaematopus (Oystercatchers)
- SpeciesHaematopus ostralegus (European Oystercatcher)
About the European Oystercatcher
The Eurasian oystercatcher or European oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), also known as the common pied oystercatcher, or (in Europe) just oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It has striking black and white plumage, a long straight orange-red bill, red eyes and relatively short dull pink legs. The sexes are similar in appearance but the bill of the female is longer than that of the male.
It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with four subspecies breeding in western Europe, central Eurosiberia, Kamchatka, China, and the western coast of Korea. No other oystercatcher occurs within this area. The Eurasian oystercatcher was listed by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Haemotopus ostralegus. The genus name Haematopus combines the Ancient Greek haima αἷμα meaning "blood" and pous πούς meaning "foot". The specific epithet ostralegus combines the Latin ostrea meaning "oyster" and legere meaning "to gather".
The name "oyster catcher" was coined by Mark Catesby in 1731 as a common name for the North American species H. palliatus, described as eating oysters... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of European Oystercatcher in Cairngorms National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Cairngorms National Park
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Common Gull
Larus canus
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellus
Eurasian Curlew
Numenius arquata
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
Common Redshank
Tringa totanus
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinago
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
European Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricaria
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropus
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Thingvellir National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 4 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 6 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 10 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 11 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 12 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 13 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 14 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 15 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a European Oystercatcher in Cairngorms National Park?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a European Oystercatcher sighting in Cairngorms National Park, based on 1,529 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see European Oystercatcher in Cairngorms National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for European Oystercatcher in Cairngorms National Park in our monthly data.