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Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae)

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) - HBW 3, p. 323

French: Huîtrier pie German: Austernfischer Spanish: Ostrero Euroasiático
Other common names: Common/European/Northern Pied Oystercatcher, Sea Pie; South Island (Pied) Oystercatcher (finschi)

Taxonomy: Haematopus Ostralegus Linnaeus, 1758, Öland Island, Sweden.
At various times has been considered to include any or all of H. palliatus, H. longirostris, H. chathamensis, H. unicolor, H. bachmani, H. moquini and H. meadewaldoi. Taxonomic status of race finschi uncertain, and may be distinct species: frequently referred to H. longirostris, or occasionally to H. unicolor or even linked with H. chathamensis. Race osculans may also deserve treatment as separate species. Proposed races malacophaga of Iceland and Faeroes, occidentalis of British Is and butur.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Haematopus Ostralegus Linnaeus, 1758, Öland Island, Sweden.
At various times has been considered to include any or all of H. palliatus, H. longirostris, H. chathamensis, H. unicolor, H. bachmani, H. moquini and H. meadewaldoi. Taxonomic status of race finschi uncertain, and may be distinct species: frequently referred to H. longirostris, or occasionally to H. unicolor or even linked with H. chathamensis. Race osculans may also deserve treatment as separate species. Proposed races malacophaga of Iceland and Faeroes, occidentalis of British Is and buturlini of Turkmeniya and S Kazakhstan are probably insufficiently distinct to warrant recognition. Four subspecies normally recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • ostralegus Linnaeus, 1758 - Iceland and Scandinavia E to R Pechora, S through British Is to NW France, with isolated populations in Mediterranean from NE Spain and S France to Turkey; winters S to W Africa.
  • longipes Buturlin, 1910 - W & NC Russia (mouth of R Ob') S to Black, Caspian and Aral Seas and L Balkhash, and E to W Siberia; winters on coast from E Africa through Arabia to India.
  • osculans Swinhoe, 1871 - Kamchatka and W North Korea, and also suspected to breed from Amurland and Ussuriland through Manchuria to Hebei (NE China), and possibly in Kuril Is; winters in E China S to Guangdong.
  • finschi Martens, 1897 - South I, New Zealand; winters on coasts of South I and North I.

Sounds

2 recordings
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