Pied Oystercatcher by stuart83

Photography • Animals • posted on Jun 29, 2009

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Description

The Pied Oystercatcher is found in coastal areas throughout the Australian continent except for areas of unbroken sea cliffs such as the Great Australian Bight. It prefers mudflats, sandbanks and sandy ocean beaches and is less common along rocky or shingle coastlines. Oystercatchers feed on bivalve molluscs, which are prised apart with their specially adapted bills. Food is found by sight, or by probing their long, chisel-shaped bills in the mud. Young Pied Oystercatchers are one of the few waders that are fed by their parents using this specialised feeding technique. Worms, crustaceans and insects are also eaten. Pied Oystercatchers have probably declined throughout much of their range and the current population may be as low as 10,000. Closely related forms are found in almost every continent in the world. Distribution: throughout Australia Habitat: intertidal and occasionally rural Status: Uncommon Size: 48 - 51 cm long Call: a whistled 'peepapeep' or 'pleep-pleep' when in flight. Thanks for looking, Stuart