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OYSTERCATCHER
Haematopus ostralegus

Oystercatcher © Tommy Holden
 

• Population
  changes

• Productivity
  trends

• Additional
  information
Conservation listings
Europe: no SPEC category (concentrated in Europe, conservation status favourable)
UK: amber (>20% of European breeding population, >20% of East Atlantic Flyway population in winter, localised wintering population)
Long-term trend
UK: rapid increase
UK population size
113,000 (98,500–127,000) pairs in 1985–99 (O'Brien 2005: BiE04, APEP06)
Status summary
Oystercatchers increased along linear waterways between 1974 and about 1986, as the species colonised inland sites across England and Wales (Gibbons et al. 1993). Thereafter, the WBS index stabilised, so showing a pattern similar to that in winter abundance revealed by WeBS (Banks et al. 2006). Surveys in England and Wales revealed an increase of 47% in breeding birds in wet meadows between 1982 and 2002 (Wilson et al. 2005). BBS data since 1994, which include birds in a broader range of locations and habitats, show strong increase in England but apparently a significant decline in Scotland. The increase in nest failure rates during the 27-day egg stage (25 days for incubation and 2 days for laying) probably results from the spread of the species into less favourable habitats, where nest losses through predation or trampling may be more likely. The trend towards earlier laying can be partly explained by recent climate change (Crick & Sparks 1999).
 

Population changes
WBS UK graph
 
Table of population changes for Oystercatcher

Source Period
(yrs)		 Years Plots
(n)		 Change
(%)		 Lower
limit		 Upper
limit		 Alert Comment
WBS waterways 31 1975-2006 23 113 67 213    
  25 1981-2006 25 39 12 104    
  10 1996-2006 27 4 -9 42    
  5 2001-2006 24 0 -5 19    
BBS UK 11 1995-2006 274 -12 -22 -5    
  10 1996-2006 281 -10 -18 -3    
  5 2001-2006 309 -5 -13 1    
BBS England 11 1995-2006 137 48 26 79    
  10 1996-2006 143 44 26 67    
  5 2001-2006 169 21 9 30    
BBS Scotland 11 1995-2006 123 -22 -32 -14    
  10 1996-2006 123 -19 -29 -10    
  5 2001-2006 123 -9 -18 -1    

BBS acknowledgement
 
BBS UK graph
BBS England graph
BBS Scotland graph
 

Productivity trends
Table of productivity changes for Oystercatcher

Variable Period
(yrs)		 Years Mean
annual
sample		 Trend Modelled
in first year		 Modelled
in 2006		 Change Comment
Clutch size 38 1968-2006 102 None        
Daily failure rate (eggs) 38 1968-2006 112 Curvilinear 1.43% nests/day 2.72% nests/day 90.2%  
Laying date 38 1968-2006 46 Linear decline May 17 May 10 -7 days  

 
Clutch size graph

 

 

Insufficient data on brood size
available for this species
Egg nest failure graph

 

 

Insufficient data on nestling failure
available for this species
Laying date graph

 

 

Insufficient data on CES
available for this species
 

Additional information
BTO blue divider
 

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This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Leech, D.I., Joys, A.C., Noble, D.G.,
Barimore, C., Grantham, M.J., Risely, K. & Robinson, R.A. (2009).
Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2008.
BTO Research Report No. 516. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

Pages maintained by Iain Downie, Mandy T Andrews and Laura Smith: Last updated 18.02.2009