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Project Noah Nature School
Haematopus palliatus
Oystercatchers are closely tied to coastal habitats. They nest on beaches on coastal islands and feed on marine invertebrates. The large, heavy beak is used to pry open bivalve mollusks. This one was spotted near the rocks of La Gorgorita in Punta del Este, where Arroyo Maldonado enters the Atlantic.
Spotted on Jul 25, 2014
Submitted on Jul 26, 2014
5 Comments
Thank you Lisa!
Congrats! This spotting has been featured as a PN Fun Fact:
https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/pho...
Project Noah Fun Fact: Also called the American oystercatcher, the American Pied Oystercatcher can be found along coastal areas of North America from New England southward down to Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. It also occurs on the Pacific coast of California, Mexico, Central America, Peru, and Chile. The genus name for this species refers to the red of the beak, Haeme = red, atopus = atypical, the species epithet palliata = cloaked. As the common name suggests, these birds feed upon oysters and other shellfish, including mussels and clams.They will also consume other marine invertebrates like limpets, sea urchins, starfish, crabs, and worms.
Thank you Mark!
Stunning shots.
Amazing