The American Oystercatcher
The American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus, is a large, charismatic shorebird classified as a Species of High Concern in shorebird conservation plans for the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States because of its small overall population, widespread habitat loss, and the threats it faces both during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. The species occurs only in coastal zones that support intertidal shellfish beds.
Because of their ties to the coast, American Oystercatchers face many threats, including habitat loss from coastal development, disturbance by people and pets, pressure from over-abundant predators, and the effects of climate change, especially rising sea levels, leading to habitat degradation and loss.
The American Oystercatcher Working Group was created to address these threats. We work to develop, support, and implement rangewide research and management efforts that promote the conservation of American Oystercatchers and their habitats, from Nova Scotia to Chile, through individual and partnership-based initiatives guided by Working Group membership recommendations.
In the U.S., coordinated range-wide management by Working Group members and partners have seen progress: population declines in the early 2000s have turned around, but the species still faces serious threats, including habitat loss from sea level rise and disturbance at nesting and roosting sites, and the Working Group continues to advance conservation of the species.
Guardianes de los Ostreros | Guardians of the Oystercatchers
As part of the Manomet Small Grants Program for the Conservation of Neotropical Shorebirds, we began implementing a project in August 2025 aimed at generating baseline data on the breeding of the American Oystercatcher and strengthening conservation tools in Villa Gesell, an Argentine coastal town under heavy pressure from tourism during the southern hemisphere summer.
Playing Nice on the Beach – Unusual Observations from a Small Island Population of American Oystercatchers
American Oystercatchers are fiercely territorial, and a pair of nesting oystercatchers generally prefers some space between them and their nesting neighbors. However, there is an unusual oystercatcher oasis in Boston Harbor where nine pairs nest within a maximum distance of about 275 meters! This leads to all sorts of fun and unusual behavioral observations regarding these generally-territorial birds.
