Pied Oystercatcher

Scientific name: Haematopus longirostris

(Vieillot 1817)
Haematopus – Latin; haematopus bloodfoot – from the Greek; haima blood; pous foot.
longirostris – Latin; longus long; –rostris -billed (rostrum bill).

Pied Oystercatcher Fact File

Distribution: coastal Australia and Moluccas

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Subspecies: None – Monotypic

Current conservation efforts

Together with the Sooty Oystercatcher, Beach Stone-curlew, Red-capped Plover and Hooded Plover, the Pied Oystercatcher is protected as part of BirdLife Australia’s “Beach-nesting Birds project”. This long running project was established in 2006 to:

Raise awareness among beach users about beach-nesting birds
Train local volunteers to monitor beach-nesting birds, identify threats and improve management
Protect eggs and chicks through temporary fencing, signage, artificial shelters
Research new ways of protecting birds and improving breeding success

Read more about how this excellent incentive is helping these beach-nesting birds: http://birdlife.org.au/projects/beach-nesting-birds