Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus
Oystercatcher, Liz Cutting

Introduction

The Oystercatcher is a striking and familiar wader, its pied plumage contrasting with the bright orange bill and pinkish legs.

The species breeds widely, both around the coast and inland, particularly in northern Britain, whilst during winter large flocks congregate on our estuaries. In Ireland the breeding population remains predominantly coastal. Britain & Ireland support a significant proportion of the global population of this species.

Ringing studies highlight that there is little interchange between the Atlantic subpopulation – which includes those breeding in Iceland, the Faeroes, Britain and Ireland – and the continental subpopulation, which is made up of birds from Scandinavia and the Low Countries.

  • Our Trends Explorer gives you the latest insight into how this species' population is changing.
Oystercatcher, Liz Cutting

Key Stats

Status
Common
Common
Weight
Weight
546.2g
Eggs
Eggs
2-3
Seasonality
Seasonality
25%
BTO Records
BTO Records
1.3m records
Publications
Publications
12
Population and distribution stats for:
Population Change
Population Change
21% decrease 1995 to 2023
Population Size
Population Size
96k pairs
Distribution Change
Distribution_change
27.7% expansion
Population Change
Population Change
17% decrease 1997 to 2022
Population Size
Population Size
305k
Distribution Change
Distribution_change
37.6% expansion

Identification

Curated resources to aid in the identification of Oystercatcher

Songs and Calls

Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Oystercatcher, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

Song:

Call:

Alarm call:

Flight call:

Movement

Information about Oystercatcher movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

Dots show the foreign destinations of birds ringed in Britain & Ireland, and the origins of birds ringed overseas that were subsequently recaptured, resighted or found dead in Britain & Ireland. Dot colours indicate the time of year that the species was present at the location.

  • Winter (Nov-Feb)
  • Spring (Mar-Apr)
  • Summer (May-Jul)
  • Autumn (Aug-Oct)
Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

European movements

EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

The Eurasian-African Migration Atlas shows movements of individual birds ringed or recovered in Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Oystercatcher, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Productivity and Nesting

Nesting timing

Average (range) fo first clutch laying dates
19 May (15 Apr-9 Jun)
Source
Typical (exceptional) number of broods
1
Source

Egg measurements

Typical length x width
56x40 mm
Mass (% shell)
46.5g (7%)
Source

Clutch Size

Typical number
2-3 eggs
Average ±1 standard deviation
2.7±0.69 eggs
Observed minimum and maximum
1-5 eggs
Source

Incubation

Incubation by
Male + Female
Typical duration
24-27 days
Source

Fledging

Type of chick
Precocial, downy
Typical duration
34-37 days
Source
Visit our Trends Explorer for trend graphs and country statistics.

Survival and Longevity

Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report.

Lifespan

Typical life expectancy of bird reaching breeding age
12 years with breeding typically at 4 years
Source
Maximum age from a ringed bird
41 years, 1 month, 5 days (set in 2017)
Source

Survival of adults

All adults
0.88
Source

Survival of juveniles

All juveniles
0.39 (to age 5)
Source
Visit our Trends Explorer for trend graphs and country statistics.

Biometrics

Wing length and body weights are from live birds (source).

Wing length

Average ±1 std deviation; range and sample size in brackets.
Juvenile
258.2±7 mm
(247-269 mm, N=1494)
All adults
263.4±7.5 mm
(251-275 mm, N=8270)
Female
264.3±7.8 mm
(251-278 mm, N=177)
Male
263.4±6.4 mm
(253-274 mm, N=146)

Body weight

Average ±1 std deviation; 5th and 95th percentiles and sample size in brackets.
Juvenile
496.3±52 g
(410-580 g, N=1473)
All adults
546.2±83.7 g
(465-640 g, N=8253)
Female
548.6±56.9 g
(452-657 g, N=175)
Male
543.6±51.1 g
(465-632 g, N=147)
Visit our Trends Explorer for trend graphs and country statistics.

Ring Size

F

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Oystercatcher

Classification and Codes

  • Order: Charadriiformes
  • Family: Haematopodidae
  • Scientific name: Haematopus ostralegus
  • Authority: Linnaeus, 1758
  • BTO 2-letter code: OC
  • BTO 5-letter code: OYSTE
  • Euring code number: 4500

Alternate species names

  • Catalan: garsa de mar
  • Czech: ústricník velký
  • Danish: Strandskade
  • Dutch: Scholekster
  • Estonian: merisk
  • Finnish: meriharakka
  • French: Huîtrier pie
  • Gaelic: Gille-Brìghde
  • German: Austernfischer
  • Hungarian: csigaforgató
  • Icelandic: Tjaldur
  • Irish: Roilleach
  • Italian: Beccaccia di mare
  • Latvian: juras žagata
  • Lithuanian: eurazine juršarke
  • Norwegian: Tjeld
  • Polish: ostrygojad (zwyczajny)
  • Portuguese: ostraceiro
  • Slovak: lastúrniciar strakatý
  • Slovenian: školjkarica
  • Spanish: Ostrero euroasiático
  • Swedish: strandskata
  • Welsh: Pioden Fôr
  • English folkname(s): Sea Pie

Research

Interpretation and scientific publications about Oystercatcher from BTO scientists.

Causes of Change and Solutions

Causes of change

The main causes of the recent decline are unclear.

Further information on causes of change

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. A 95% decline over 1990-2015 at a study area in Perthshire, Scotland, was attributed to land use and crop type changes (Bell & Calladine 2017). The trend towards earlier laying may be linked to recent climate change (Crick & Sparks 1999).

Information about conservation actions

The causes of the recent decline are unclear and hence conservation requirements are also uncertain. Oystercatchers breed in wetland habitat both along the coast and inland, and therefore actions to improve breeding habitat for other waders may also improve breeding success for Oystercatchers. These could include maintaining and restoring saltmarsh and other wetland habitats, less intensive management of grasslands (including reduced drainage to raise water) and delaying mowing of grasslands in which waders are breeding.

Declines in the Netherlands have been attributed to over-exploitation by shell-fisheries in the Wadden Sea and hence reduced survival during winter (van de Pol et al. 2014). Exploitation of shellfish has also affected some sites in the UK (e.g. Norris et al. 1998; Atkinson et al. 2003), although it is unclear if the UK population declines have been caused by it. However, the majority of the UK breeding population winters around the UK coast, with many estuaries holding protected status as they support nationally and internationally important numbers of Oystercatchers and other wetland species during winter. Appropriate management of shellfish numbers at key wintering sites is therefore likely to be important for this species, along with other policies to ensure these sites continue to be protected and habitat quality maintained or improved (e.g. Goss-Custard et al. (2019).

Publications (12)

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

Citing BirdFacts

If you wish to cite particular content in this page (e.g. a specific value) it is best to use the original sources as linked in the page. For a more general citation of the whole page please use: BTO (20XX) BirdFacts Species: profiles of birds occurring in the United Kingdom. BTO, Thetford (www.bto.org/birdfacts, accessed on xx/xx/xxxx).

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