Haematopus palliatus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), occasionally called the American pied oystercatcher, is a member of family Haematopodidae. Originally called the "sea pie", it was renamed in 1731 when naturalist Mark Catesby claimed that he had observed the bird eating oysters. The current population of American oystercatchers is estimated to be 50,000 – 99,999 mature individuals. There are estimated to be 1,500 breeding pairs along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the US. The bird is marked by its black and white body and a long, thick orange beak.
The American oystercatcher has distinctive black and white plumage and a long, bright orange beak. The head and breast are black and the back, wings and tail greyish-black. The underparts are white, as are feathers on the inner part of the wing which become visible during flight. The irises are yellow and the eyes have orange orbital rings. The legs are pink. Adults are between 42–52 cm (17–20 in) in length.
The American oystercatcher is found on the Atlantic coast of North America from coastal Massachusetts to northern Florida, where it is also found on the Gulf coast, the Caribbean, and south to Brazil... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Coiba National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Las Baulas Marine National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Ostional Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Marino Ballena National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 10 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 11 | Corcovado National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 12 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 13 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 16 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Carara National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 19 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 20 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lima | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Vitória | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Montevideo | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | |
| 4 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Santos | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Aviario Nacional de Colombia | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Mangal das Garças | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Mote Marine Laboratory | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Seaside Seabird Sanctuary | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Oystercatcher sighting in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve on a given day, based on 85 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 94th most-seen of the 241 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an American Oystercatcher in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in February to April, the lowest months. That is one of Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve's wettest months, with about 460 mm of rain against 15 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Oystercatcher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 20
Of the 20 parks where we can rate American Oystercatcher sightings, Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve ranks 7th at about 10%. The best odds are in Península Valdés (Argentina, about 80%), Coiba National Park (Panama, about 30%) and Galápagos Islands (Ecuador, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same order: Charadriiformes
The closest relatives of the American Oystercatcher that you can see in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (order Charadriiformes, Shorebirds and Allies) are Spotted Sandpiper (about 40%), Royal Tern (about 30%) and Hudsonian Whimbrel (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Oystercatcher is recorded against all the birds logged in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (85 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
