American Oyster catcher reference?

D. Hinton

D. Hinton

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Does anyone on here have approximate size dimensions / specs for body length / height etc and bill length for an American Oystercstcher ?
 
In todays world there is a staggering amount of info concerning Shorebirds, and Shorebird carving/making. When in fact the only book you need Steve has posted above. Many poo poo it, but they are incorrect. Use it as your foundation and you will do well to create your OWN style.

my 2 cents
 
D. Hinton said:
Does anyone on here have approximate size dimensions / specs for body length / height etc and bill length for an American Oystercstcher ?
Click to expand...

Never done an American, but a Black in a gunning style. The bills are weird, so anything you could do to lock that in would be a benefit.
 
They are big Shore birds. Definitely on par with a curlew for body size. There are bills are chisel like and more vertical in cross-section than they are wide.
 
On the Gulf, we seem to always see them in pairs. Even outside of breeding season.
They are kinda territorial and pretty picky about where they nest.
Cool birds.
 
I enjoyed watching and studying them on my trips to the East Coast. As Jode wrote they are large shorebirds on shore and in flight. I have carved only one but have painted many in oils and watercolors. They are perfectly adapted to their purpose that's for sure.
 
jode hillman said:
They are big Shore birds. Definitely on par with a curlew for body size. There are bills are chisel like and more vertical in cross-section than they are wide.
Click to expand...
Jode~

Indeed! and - they fly like a duck! I have seen them many times on Long Island - and in their breeding colonies in the warmer months. I have also seen them in small flocks near inlets in mid-Winter.

We saw this one in Finland in 2023 (with my daughter's family). It's the Eurasian species - in mid-Summer plumage.

HK - Oystercatcher.JPG

I could never figure out where they found their "oysters" or any shellfish. The system reminded my mostly of Lake Champlain - crossed with the coast of Maine. Except, there are almost no tides - because the Baltic Sea is very constricted near Denmark and Sweden - and the salinity is very low.

sm HK - Holmklobb shoreline 3 - promontory CROPPED WIDE.JPG

Finally, I have never carved any Oystercatcher.

All the best,

SJS
 
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George~

Thanks for reminding me (us) of this wonderful site. I use Google images regularly - but this is one of the best - all in one spot.

All the best,

SJS
 
Decoy Monster Machine thanks for the info. First thing I did was go to the Eastern Kingbird. A pair frequent one of my favorite fly fishing ponds and they let me know when to grab the fly rod and start fishing. They nest close to where I park and each year I enjoy seeing them when they arrive. Might have to carve one someday...
 
D. Hinton said:
Does anyone on here have approximate size dimensions / specs for body length / height etc and bill length for an American Oystercstcher ?
Click to expand...
I didn't see any specific answer for your original bill length question. I have a subscription to Birds of the World and there is an appendix with some Morphometric Measurements: GA and SC, 2001-2006

Source: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/ameoys/cur/appendices

I tried copying the table but the formatting goes wonky... here's what they have for bill length:

Adult MaleAdult Female
nMean ± SDMedianRangenMean ± SD
Bill length (mm)3980.4 ± 5.0080.2(70.0-94.3)3293.4 ± 6.35

So somewhere between 2 3/4 - 3 2/3 inches bill length. Immatures were pretty much in the same range.

Also as a photo reference, I love looking at eBird photos filtered to a particular species because you can filter down to state and month, which can really make a difference on how birds look:

media.ebird.org

American Oystercatcher - Haematopus palliatus - Media Search - Macaulay Library and eBird

Explore millions of photos, audio recordings, and videos of birds and other animals; powered by Macaulay Library and eBird. The Macaulay Library collects, archives, and distributes wildlife media for research, education, and conservation.
media.ebird.org media.ebird.org
 
James~

Thanks for another great reference!

As you have probably discovered yourself, Google Images can be a wonderful source - but lots of misidentifications!

All the best,

SJS
 
I'm a Book person. Something about it being tactile stimulates my brain much more than a screen. Of my many books about Shorebirds, and not carving them just bird info is SHOREBIRDS A COMPLETE GUIDE TO THEIR BEHAVIOR AND MIGRATION by ALAN RICHARDS. Bought at the Ohio Decoy show the year it came out. My copy is well worn and I still enjoy it. The "puter" does help in many ways in my life yet I gotta have BOOKS.
 
Thank you all for the replies.
Ordered the Harry shourds book this morning, figured it was oddly enough fitting as I have a rig mate pair of his black ducks
 
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