Foraging Black Oystercatcher

The Black Oystercatcher was photographed while on the Deception Pass Boat tour. Deception Pass if you’re not familiar with it is near Anacortes, Washington and one of the most visited Washington State attractions. Oystercatchers are found on coasts worldwide minus the Polar Regions. Oystercatchers are a noticeable black bird about the size of a crow with a black head and body. Their most colorful part is the large reddish-orange bill and red eye-ring. The Oystercatchers legs are an odd looking dull pale pink.

The black oystercatcher eats a variation of marine invertebrates which includes limpets, whelks, and mussels. You might be surprised to find out that they rarely eat oysters, despite their name. They like to forage at low tide, by eating on invertebrates that cling to the rocks, which are exposed during this low tide period. They try to find open mussels which they spear with their long sharp beak. If they are not able to find these easy pickings they will pry open closed mussels, limpets, or other mollusks.

These birds are non-migratory but will move slightly in the spring and fall, but generally remain nearby to their nesting area.

EXIF Data

Aperture – ƒ/10
Camera – NIKON D90
Lens – Sigma 150-500 ƒ5-6.3 DG OS APO
Date Created – 2013:05:23 03:28
Focal length – 500mm
ISO – 2000
Exposure Time – 1/2500