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

The project to return the American oystercatcher to the East Coast aptly illustrates the theme of this hope-filled book: Determine the causes of a species’ decline, take steps to counter them, then stand back.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

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

Delaware: Wood duck, upland plover, least tern, Wilson tern, roseate tern, black skimmer, oystercatcher, and numerous other littoral species.

From Our Vanishing Wild Life Its Extermination and Preservation by Hornaday, William Temple