Wild Bird Wednesday 654 - American Oystercatcher

The American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) is sometimes called the American Pied Oystercatcher.  Pied Oystercatchers - ie black and white oystercatchers - are found in many places around the world and the taxonomy of these birds is rather contested.  In many cases I think that geography is about the only way to tell the closely related species apart.

In other words if you see a Pied Oystercatcher in America, it's an American Pied Oystercatcher! And when you see a remarkably similar Pied Oystercatcher in Europe, then it's a different species - the Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus).

About the only difference between these two species is that the American Oystercatcher has 'blackish brown dorsal plumage' while the European Pied Oystercatcher is more uniform in the black colour.  Such distinctions would probably drive people to distraction in the field.

These birds are feeding on the beach at Cayo Coco in Cuba.  This is an interesting, but not remarkable record for this bird and I have been told (thank you David!) that there is a single breeding record for this species in Cuba.

This shot seems to show the blackish brown dorsal plumage

This shot seems to show the blackish brown dorsal plumage

This shot seems to show the blackish brown dorsal plumage

The bird in these pictures with the darker beak is a juvenile.

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Cheers and I hope all is well.  SM

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