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 Vatnajokull National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Vatnajokull National Park
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinago
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Common Redshank
Tringa totanus
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
European Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricaria
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinus
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosa
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatus
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreus
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylle
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 Vatnajokull National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a European Oystercatcher sighting in Vatnajokull National Park, based on 769 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see European Oystercatcher in Vatnajokull National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for European Oystercatcher in Vatnajokull National Park in our monthly data.