Black Oystercatcher Facts

The black oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) is a frequently sighted bird that calls the Salish Sea home year-round. It is easily recognizable by its black feathers and long, red bill. You might see a black oystercatcher poking around the tide pools during mid and high tide, on the hunt for food. Its pointed, narrow bill is useful when searching for food along the rocky shoreline. The population of black oystercatchers is a valuable indicator of the health of intertidal ecosystems as their presence means there is an abundance of marine life flourishing within the rocky terrain.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The black oystercatcher does not actually eat oysters. Instead, it feeds on marine snails such as limpets and periwinkles, mussels, marine worms, and pinto abalone.

• The rocky seashore is the black oystercatcher’s home. In addition to searching for small marine prey in the tidepools, it also tends to build its nests just above the high tide line on the shores of isolated islands.

• The sex of a black oystercatcher can be determined by looking at the pattern of the iris in their eyes. If an oystercatcher has several flecks throughout its entire iris, it is a female, and if the iris has minimal or no eye flecks, it is a male.  

• The global population of black oystercatchers numbers around 10,000 individuals. About 80% of their population can be found living along the coastline between Alaska and British Columbia.

• In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil spill into Alaska’s Prince William Sound had several negative impacts on the black oystercatcher population. The spill contaminated their marine habitat and caused a major reduction in mussel populations. This sharp decline in their primary prey decreased their breeding and foraging behavior. However, in just two years, their population had recovered significantly from the oil contamination.