Birds · Charadriiformes · Haematopodidae

Pied Oystercatcher

Haematopus longirostris

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

An oystercatcher with contrasting black-and-white plumage and the long, straight, orange-red bill characteristic of the family, adapted to opening bivalves and probing the intertidal substrate.

Weight

566 g on average

Lifespan

33 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Estimated population

In the order of 12,000-14,000 individuals and 4,000-5,000 breeding pairs in Australia in the first decade of the twenty-first century; the numbers in New Guinea and the Aru Islands are unknown

OceanCarnivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Ocean

1countries 20parks4same family

Fun facts

In Australia it lives alongside the sooty oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus), its dark-plumaged counterpart.
Like all oystercatchers, it has a laterally compressed bill that works as a wedge for opening shells.
In 2024 a coccidian parasite new to science, Eimeria haematopusi, was described from it, from a bird undergoing rehabilitation in Western Australia.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Sandy shores and intertidal flats of Australia
Size at birth: Precocial chicks, small and brown with stripes, which leave the nest within a few days and do not fly until 42-48
Sexual maturity: 4 years
Gestation / incubation: About 28 days of incubation, shared by both sexes; some sources widen the range to 28-32 days
Litter / clutch size: 2-3 eggs, laid in a simple scrape on sand, shell grit or gravel above the high-tide line

Sources consulted: IUCN Red List; iNaturalist; Austen et al. 2024, Systematic Parasitology (descripción de Eimeria haematopusi); Vieillot