The American Oystercatcher is a bold, unmistakable shorebird with a brilliant orange-red bill used as a chisel and knife to open bivalves. It can insert its laterally flattened bill between a slightly open oyster shell and sever the adductor muscle before the shell snaps shut. Its loud, piping calls carry above surf noise along rocky and sandy coasts.
Habitat
Sandy beaches, rocky shores, and coastal marshes
Diet
Oysters, mussels, clams, and marine invertebrates
How common
Uncommon
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