Pied Oystercatcher

Scientific Name: Haematopus longirostris

Population Estimate: Unknown, but Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Coastal estuaries and mudflats around the entire coast of Australia, including Tasmania, parts of Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.

Field Notes: Medium-sized wader with black head, neck, bib, back and tail. White breast and underparts, extending up to shoulder. Bright orange bill and eye. Unmistakable in range.

Personal Notes: Photographed at Ben Boyd NP.

Black Oystercatcher

Scientific Name: Haematopus bachmani

Population Estimate: 9-11K

Range / Habitat: Found year-round on rocky coasts and marine intertidal areas from Aleutian Islands to Baja California.

Field Notes: Large black shorebird with large red bill and stout, dull pink legs. Eyes yellow, ringed with red. American Oystercatcher only overlaps in Baja area and has white chest and belly with brown back.

Personal Notes: Seen off Finlayson Point in Victoria, BC.

South Island Oystercatcher

Scientific Name: Haematopus finschi

Population Estimate: 110K

Range / Habitat: Breed on inland wetlands of South Island of New Zealand, where it is endemic. Otherwise found primarily in South Island in intertidal areas.

Field Notes: Common shore bird with striking black and white coloring, bright orange bill and orange eye ring. Similar to Pied Oystercatcher of Australia but no range overlap. Variable Oystercatcher only other oystercatcher in New Zealand and is larger, stockier, most commonly in black phase. Pied phase of Variable Oystercatcher with mottled border on chest and no white shoulder patch. From our experience, Variable Oystercatcher more solitary, South Island Oystercatcher flocks. 

Personal Notes: First seen on Otogo Peninsula, later photographed on Stewart Island and the Catlins. In New Zealand known as Pied Oystercatcher. Maori name Torea. 

Euasian Oystercatcher

Scientific Name: Haemotopus ostralegus

Order: Charadriiformes

Population Estimate: 1.1M

Location (Date) of Sighting: Iceland (August 2009) and Po River Delta, Italy (November 2009)

Notes: Common bird with extensive range throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It was somewhat strange to see these birds in fields a few kilometers inland in Iceland. But, as we were cursed with a rotten camera at that time, we just had to go back and update the photo.