oystercatcher

American  

[oi-ster-kach-er] / ˈɔɪ stərˌkætʃ ər /

Or oyster catcher

noun

1. any of several long-billed wading birds of the genus Haematopus that have chiefly black-and-white plumage and that feed on oysters, clams, mussels, etc.

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oystercatcher British  

/ ˈɔɪstəˌkætʃə /

noun

1. any shore bird of the genus Haematopus and family Haematopodidae, having a black or black-and-white plumage and a long stout laterally compressed red bill

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Etymology

Origin of oystercatcher

An Americanism dating back to 1725–35; oyster + catcher

Example Sentences

It has 20% of the UK's hen harriers, 11% of its breeding seabirds and vital populations of curlew, lapwing, and oystercatcher.

From BBC • Sep. 24, 2023

An oystercatcher, a black and white bird with a long, red-orange beak for breaking through shellfish, initially brought the tracker from Dublin, Ireland, to Orkney, an archipelago of islands north of Scotland.

From The Verge • Jun. 17, 2022

For birds in decline — such as the black oystercatcher — that can have consequences.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 2, 2021

The sandpiper and the oystercatcher joined storks and vultures on what the researchers called the "not-so-pretty birds" end of the list.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2021

Frigate-bird, oystercatcher, upland plover and various terns on the coast of Tamaulipas, M�xico.

From Vertebrates from the Barrier Island of Tamaulipas, M?xico by Johnston, Richard F.