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Haematopus palliatus Temminck, 1820
American Oystercatcher
Florida native
Threatened Florida species
A resident of beaches, sandbars, mud flats and shellfish beds in most of the coastal counties of the peninsula, less common in southeast Florida and accidental in the keys, also in Wakulla, Franklin and Gulf Counties of the panhandle. The range includes much of the tropical and temperate coastlines of the Americas.
A large and heavy shorebird with pink legs and a bright red bill and eye. The head, chest and back are black, the underside is white. White in the wing forms a conspicuous diagonal white stripe the length of each wing.
Oystercatchers live up to their name, feeding on oysters, calms and mussels.
Haematopus palliatus is a member of the Haematopodidae - Oystercatchers family.
iNaturalist profile for this species
For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds page for this species
Date record last modified: Mar 03, 2025
