Magellanic Oystercatcher

Overview

The Magellanic oystercatcher, Haematopus leucopodus, is a species of wader found in the southern tip of South America and the Falkland Islands. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Length of 42–46 cm with a weight of around 600 g in males.
• Black head, breast, back, wings, and tail contrasting with white underparts and inner wing feathers.
• Long orange beak, yellow legs, and a distinctive yellow ring of bare skin surrounding the yellow eye.
• Call is a repeated high-pitched "pee-pee".

Habitat

Native to southern Argentina, Tierra del Fuego, and the Falkland Islands, this species breeds inland on upland grasslands but resides on the coast outside the breeding season. It also inhabits freshwater lakes and sandy shores.

Diet

During the breeding season inland, it feeds largely on earthworms and insect larvae by probing soft ground and mud. When at the coast during other times of the year, it forages for mussels, limpets, crabs, and polychaete worms.

Did you know?

When disturbed near the nest, the bird employs defensive strategies such as false-brooding by moving to sit on an imaginary nest site and tail-flagging, a ritual aggressive display involving raising the tail and wings.