Animal Pictures Archive
Animal Photo Album

New Photos Animal News Animal Sounds Animal Movies Upload Photo Copyright Korean
Funny Animal Photos Monsters in Animalia Wiki Articles   Fun Facts about Animals Links Home Mobile A.P.A.
Delete Modify    
Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) - Wiki latin dict size=35   common dict size=512
Image Info Original File Name: Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus).jpg Resolution: 1020x794 File Size: 346139 Bytes Upload Time: 2006:12:17 14:47:55
Author Name (E-mail): Unknown
Subject Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) - Wiki

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) - Wiki; DISPLAY FULL IMAGE.
Email : E-Card | Poster | Web Master    Delete   Edit Info   Admin

Description
Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) - Wiki

Eurasian Oystercatcher
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Photo] Haematopus ostralegus - photo MPF http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:MPF St Mary's island, Northumberland, UK; 31 August 2005

The Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, also known as the Common Pied Oystercatcher, or (in Europe) just Oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with three races breeding in western Europe, central Eurasia, Kamchatka, China, and Western coast of Korea. No other oystercatcher occurs within this area.

This is a migratory species over most of its range. The European population breeds mainly in northern Europe, but in winter the birds can be found in north Africa and southernmost Europe. Although the species is present all year in Ireland, Great Britain and the adjacent European coasts, there is still migratory movement: for example the large flocks that are found the estuaries of south-west England in winter mainly breed in northern England or Scotland. Similar movements are shown by the Asian populations. The birds are highly gregarious outside the breeding season.

These are large obvious and noisy plover-like birds, with black and white plumage, red legs and strong broad red bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs such as mussels or for finding earthworms. Despite its name, oysters do not form a large part of its diet, but few if any other wading birds are capable of opening oysters at all.

The bill shape varies; oystercatchers with broad bill tips open molluscs by prising them apart or hammering through the shell, whereas pointed-bill birds dig up worms. Much of this is due to the wear resulting from feeding on the prey. Thus when birds move inland to breed and thus shift from feeding on molluscs to worms their bill shape changes from flat to pointed.

This oystercatcher is unmistakable in flight, with white patches in the wings and tail, otherwise black upperparts, and white underparts. Young birds are browner, have a white neck collar, and a duller bill. The call is a distinctive loud piping.

The nest is a bare scrape on pebbles, on the coast or on inland gravelly islands. 2-4 eggs are laid. Both eggs and chicks are highly cryptic.

Because of its large numbers and readily identified behaviour, the Oystercatcher is an important indicator species for the health of the ecosystems where it congregates. Extensive long-term studies have been carried out on its foraging behaviour, in northern Germany, in the Netherlands and particularly on the River Exe estuary in south-west England, and these form an important part of the foundation of the modern discipline of behavioural ecology.

The Oystercatcher is the national bird of the Faroe Islands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Oystercatcher
The text in this page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article shown in above URL. It is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Copyright Info AnimmalPicturesArchive.com does not have the copyright for this image. This photograph or artwork is copyright by the photographer or the original artist. If you are to use this photograph, please contact the copyright owner or the poster.

Search Major Animal Websites
Misidentified?
Need further identification?
Any comment?
Leave your message here.
Name :    PASSWORD :
Email :
 
Search
Back List Upload Home Korean
CopyLeft © since 1995, Animal Pictures Archive. All rights may be reserved.
Powered by KRISTAL IRMS

Stats