Oystercatchers
American Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Charadriiformes Family: Haematopodidae Genus: Haematopus
Species
Magellanic Oystercatcher H. leucopodus Blackish Oystercatcher H. ater American Black Oystercatcher H. bachmani American Oystercatcher H. palliatus Canarian Black Oystercatcher H. meadewaldoi African Black Oystercatcher H. moquini Eurasian Oystercatcher H. ostralegus Australian Pies Oystercatcher H. longirostris Chatham Islands Oystercatcher H. chathamensis Variable Oystercatcher H. unicolor Sooty Oystercatcher H. fuliginosus

The Oystercatchers are a group of waders; they form the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, Haematopus. They are large obvious and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs. black oystercatcher public domain image from USFWS File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Binomial name Haematopus bachmani (Audubon, 1838) The American Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani, is a conspicuous black bird found on the shoreline of western North America. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Many - see section below. ... Families Thinocoridae Pedionomidae Scolopacidae Rostratulidae Jacanidae Chionididae Burhinidae Haematopodidae Recurvirostridae Ibidorhynchidae Charadriidae Pluvianellidae Dromadidae Glareolidae Stercorariidae Rhynchopidae Laridae Sternidae Alcidae Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. ... Binomial name Haematopus bachmani (Audubon, 1838) The American Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani, is a conspicuous black bird found on the shoreline of western North America. ... Binomial name Haematopus palliatus (Temminck, 1820) The American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) is a member of Family Haematopodidae. ... Binomial name Haematopus moquini ( Bonaparte, 1856) The African Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus moquini, is a large wader which is a resident breeder on the rocky coasts and islands of southern Africa. ... Binomial name Haematopus ostralegus Linnaeus, 1758 The Common Pied Oystercatcher, or in Europe just Oystercatcher is a wader in the Oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. ... Families Charadridae Jacanidae Rostratulidae Ibidorhynchidae Recurvirostridae Haematopodidae Scolopacidae Dromadidae Burhinidae Glareolidae Thinocoridae Waders, called Shorebirds in North America (where wader is used to refer to long-legged wading birds such as storks and herons), are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... See genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. ... Genera Pluvialis Charadrius Thinornis Elseyornis Peltohyas Anarhynchus Phegornis Oreopholus Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. ... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ...

In some species, the bill shape varies according to the diet. Those birds with blade-like bill tips prise open or smash mollusc shells, and those with pointed bill tips tend to probe for worms. A worm is an elongated soft-bodied invertebrate animal. ...

They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions. They are all-black, black and white or brown and white in appearance.

Their eggs are laid in a shallow scrape on shingle. Oystercatcher eggs are grey and speckled, providing camouflage against the grey rock background. They are pointed at one end. Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of this is not to provide space for the chick's long beaks (their long beaks develop after hatching). The pointed shape is thought to prevent the eggs from rolling down a steep slope. An average Whooping Crane egg is 102 mm long, and weighs 208 grams A baby tortoise emerges from a reptile egg. ... Anolis caroliensis showing blending camouflage and counter-shading. ...

American Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)
Image from 'Birds of America" J.J. Audubon

Common Pied Oystercatcher

American Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)