American Oystercatcher (AMOY)
Haematopus palliatus
Range
The American Oystercatcher’s range stretches across the coasts of North and Central America, with habitat also on the coasts of South America.
Additional Maps
Identification
This bulky shorebird has a thick red bill and yellow eyes rimmed with red. The plumage is striking, appearing black and white from a distance. Up close, the head is black, the back and wings are brown, and the underside and wingbar are white. The American Oystercatcher is not sexually dimorphic, so the male and female of this species appear similar.
The American Oystercatcher has whistles and yelps that can be heard in rapid succession when the bird is excited.
Habitat
This species lives exclusively on coasts, preferring beaches where they can feed on saltwater bivalve mollusks. They nest primarily in shallow depressions on sand and shell beaches, salt marshes, dunes, and sometimes rock surfaces. Nests are typically in areas with little vegetation.
The American Oystercatcher was believed to prefer breeding on outer beaches, but recent surveys have observed increased flexibility in their habitat use, with a decreased use of barrier beaches and increased use of dredge islands for nesting. This may be a result of human disturbance, development, and/or increased predation.
Conservation Status
- Listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Listed as Highly Vulnerable on the Canada and U.S. Atlantic Coast and in Maine, as well as Moderately Vulnerable in New York and on the North and Mid-Atlantic Coasts by the Massachusetts Climate Action Tool
Status by State
- Listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the 2015 Delaware Wildlife Action Plan
- Listed as Bird Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the 2015-2025 Maryland State Wildlife Action Plan
- Listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the 2015 Massachusetts Wildlife Action Plan
- Listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the 2015 Rhode Island Wildlife Action Plan
- Listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the 2015 Virginia Wildlife Action Plan
Threats to Conservation
The main threats to the American Oystercatcher are loss of habitat to development, human disturbances, increased predation, loss of primary food sources, and the effects of climate change. Shoreline development encourages human recreation, which produces trash and attracts more predators to the area. Areas with high human disturbance tend not to be chosen for nesting, and human disturbance is associated with higher rates of chick mortality and lower rates of nest survival. Pollution, decline in water quality and flow, disease, and invasive species threaten the food supplies for this species.
Although the population levels of this species are currently stable, it’s important to note its vulnerability to the effects of climate change—specifically rising sea levels, which eliminate small islands suitable for nesting and roosting.
Funding Opportunities
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
- Gulf Coast Conservation Grants Program
- Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative Small Grant Program
- National Coastal Resilience Fund
- National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants
- NOAA Office for Coastal Management: Funding Opportunities
- North American Wetlands Conservation
- Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Project Funding Resources
- NRCS Wetland Mitigation Banking Program
General Management Guides
- Conserve Wildlife New Jersey: A Conservation Action Plan for the American Oystercatcher for the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Business Plan for the American Oystercatcher
- NFWF Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Business Plan
- The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Partnership
Regional Management Guides
Resources
- American oystercatcher: Why would a bird need a business plan?
- The American Oystercatcher Working Group
- Audubon New York: Coast Conservation
- Audubon New York: How to Know if a Shorebird is Being Disturbed
- Conserve Wildlife New Jersey: Species Spotlight
- Guide to the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants
- International Coastal Cleanup
- National Park Service: Species Spotlight