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Ecology and Vulnerability American Oystercatcher
Displayed are DSL Landscape Capability (LC) data for the American Oystercatcher for 2010 (DSL Current) and the future (DSL 2080); higher values shown in dark red. LC incorporates habitat, climate, and prevalence to estimate suitable and accessible conditions for the species. LC values can't be compared across species. Courtesy of K. McGarigal, UMass.
HideDisplayed are DSL Landscape Capability (LC) data for the American Oystercatcher for 2010 (DSL Current) and the...
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Ecology and Vulnerability
American Oystercatcher
Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service NE
Background
American oystercatchers are shorebirds with brown, black, and white body patterns, and distinctive long red bills. American oystercatchers are found on both... Read More
Background
American oystercatchers are shorebirds with brown, black, and white body patterns, and distinctive long red bills. American oystercatchers are found on both coasts of North America. The east coast population breeds as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts and as far south as Florida, Mexico, and even the Caribbean 11. This species formerly occurred in the northeast as far north as Canada, but by the early 1900s their range decreased to Virginia 4,11 due to hunting and habitat loss. However, in recent decades, this species has expanded and reestablished former habitat in the northeast, with breeding pairs observed in Maine and Nova Scotia 2,9,13. Oystercatchers are listed as “Species of High Concern” in the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan 1.
In Massachusetts, American oystercatchers are found almost exclusively along salt marshes and sandy beaches on small coastal islands, and feed around intertidal areas and mud flats 8. They use their long, powerful, blade-like bills to pry open and feed on bivalves such as mussels and other hard-bodied invertebrates including barnacles, snails, and various worms 3. The shape of their bills is highly specialized based on diet, sex, and location 12. Oystercatchers are among the first migrant birds to appear on the beaches in Massachusetts in the spring, usually arriving around mid-March. Oystercatchers nest in shallow depressions on sand or dry marsh grass, and clutch sizes (number of eggs laid by a nesting pair) are usually 2-5 eggs 8. They have low survival and productivity, and are extremely vulnerable to predation, as well as nest overwash (flooding and erosion) from storm surge and severe weather 1.
Climate Impacts
Climate change will likely have negative impacts on American oystercatcher populations. Extreme high tides are a prominent threat to nest success 4,5, and as sea levels rise and storm surge increases, overwash (flooding and erosion) will continue to be a major factor influencing early life stages 7. Loss of breeding, wintering, and migration habitats are recognized as threats to oystercatcher populations, because of their high degree of habitat specialization 6. Tidal marsh and mud flat habitats are projected to decline and become increasingly fragmented under future climate change 14. There is evidence that oystercatchers are increasingly using inland river habitat for nesting, which may be an adaptive response to changing climatic conditions 10. Oystercatchers also use dredge spoil islands (islands created by the waste from dredging) for nesting and roosting, which may become an increasingly important management strategy as beach environments continue to change. Larger dredge islands with low sloping profiles, minimum vegetation, and situated close to known foraging sites have the greatest potential for increasing oystercatcher productivity 10.
1. Brown, S., C. Hickey, B. Harrington. and R. Gill. 2001. The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, 2nd ed. Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Manomet, Massachusetts.
2. Brown, S.C., S. Schulte, B. Harrington, B. Winn, J. Bart, and M. Howe. 2005. Population Size and Winter Distribution of Eastern American Oystercatchers. Journal of Wildlife Management 69:1538-1545.
3. Bull, J., and J. Ferrand. 1995. National Audubon Society Field Guide of North American Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. p. 470.
4. Davis, M.B., T.R. Simons, M.J. Groom, J.L. Weaver, and J.R. Cordes. 2001. The breeding status of the American oystercatcher on the east coast of North America and breeding success in North Carolina. Waterbirds 24:195–202.
5. Denmon, P., B.D. Watts, and F.M. Smith. 2013. Investigating American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliates) Nest Failure on Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia, USA. Waterbirds 36:156-165.
6. Galbraith, H., D.W. DesRochers, S. Brown, and J.M. Reed. 2014. Predicting vulnerabilities of North American shorebirds to climate change. PLoS ONE 9:e108899.
7. Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences and the National Wildlife Federation. 2014. The vulnerabilities of northeastern fish and wildlife habitats to sea level rise. A Report to the Northeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and to the North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative. Plymouth, MA. 44 pp.
8. Mass Audubon. Breeding Bird Atlas Species: American Oystercatcher. Accessed 4/18/2016. Available at: http://www.massaudubon.org/our-conservation-work/wildlife-research-conse...(id)/56
9. Mawhinney, K., B. Allen, and B. Benedict. 1999. Status of the American oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus, on the Atlantic coast. Northeastern Naturalist 6:177–182.
10. McGowan, C.P., T.R. Simons, W. Golder, and J. Cordes. 2005. A Comparison of American Oystercatcher Reproductive Success on Barrier Beach and River Island Habitats in Coastal North Carolina. Waterbirds 28:150-155.
11. Nol, E., and R.C. Humphrey. 1994. American oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus. Number 82 in A. Poole and F. Gill, editors. The birds of North America. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, and The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C., USA.
12. Pol, M.V.D., B.J. Ens, K. Oosterbeek, L. Brouwer, S. Verhulst, J.M. Tinbergen, A.L. Rutten, and M.D. Jong. 2009. Oystercatchers’ bill shapes as a proxy for diet specialization:more differentiation than meets the eye. Netherlands Ornithologists’ Union 97:335-347.
13. Post, P.W., and G.S. Raynor. 1964. Recent Range Expansion of the American Oystercatcher into New York. The Wilson Bulletin, 76:339–346.
14. Whitman, A., A. Cutko, P. De Maynadier, S. Walker, B. Vickery, S. Stockwell, and R. Houston. 2013. Climate change and biodiversity in Maine: vulnerability of habitats and priority species. Report SEI-2013-03. Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences (in collaboration with Maine Beginning with Habitat Climate Change Working Group), Brunswick, ME.
This species was identified as moderately vulnerable to climate change because of the following factors:
- Sea level rise
- Increasing storm intensity
- ... Read More
This species was identified as moderately vulnerable to climate change because of the following factors:
- Sea level rise
- Increasing storm intensity
- Increasing erosion in beach habitats
- Specific hydrological thresholds
Factors that decreased vulnerability were:
- Ability to disperse or move
Sneddon, L. A., and G. Hammerson. 2014. Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments of Selected Species in the North Atlantic LCC Region. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.
This species was identified as highly vulnerable to climate change because of the following factors:
- Loss of breeding habitat
- Major loss of wintering habitat ... Read More
This species was identified as highly vulnerable to climate change because of the following factors:
- Loss of breeding habitat
- Major loss of wintering habitat
- Major loss of migration habitat
- High degree of habitat specialization
Galbraith, H., D.W. DesRochers, S. Brown, and J.M. Reed. 2014. Predicting vulnerabilities of North American shorebirds to climate change. PLoS ONE 9:e108899.
This species was identified as moderately vulnerable to climate change because of the following:
- Disturbance
- Physical Habitat
Factors that decrease... Read More
This species was identified as moderately vulnerable to climate change because of the following:
- Disturbance
- Physical Habitat
Factors that decrease vulnerability:
- Ability to disperse or move
- Specific hydrological thresholds
Schlesinger, M. D., J. D. Corser, K. A. Perkins, and E. L. White. 2011. Vulnerability of at-risk species to climate change in New York. New York Natural Heritage Program, Albany, NY.
This species was identified as highly vulnerable to climate change because of the following factors:
- Exhibits a high degree of habitat specialization
- Habitat is likely... Read More
This species was identified as highly vulnerable to climate change because of the following factors:
- Exhibits a high degree of habitat specialization
- Habitat is likely to experience decline
- Habitat range is fragmented
- Survival and reproduction are dependent on specific or stable hydrological regimes
Whitman, A., A. Cutko, P. De Maynadier, S. Walker, B. Vickery, S. Stockwell, and R. Houston. 2013. Climate change and biodiversity in Maine: vulnerability of habitats and priority species. Report SEI-2013-03. Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences (in collaboration with Maine Beginning with Habitat Climate Change Working Group), Brunswick, ME.
This species was identified as moderately vulnerable to climate change because of the following factors:
- Sea level rise
- Climate change mitigation
- Specific... Read More
This species was identified as moderately vulnerable to climate change because of the following factors:
- Sea level rise
- Climate change mitigation
- Specific hydrological thresholds
Sensitivity factors that decreased vulnerability were:
- Ability to disperse or move
Sneddon, L. A., and G. Hammerson. 2014. Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments of Selected Species in the North Atlantic LCC Region. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.
Related Adaptation Strategies and Actions
Related Habitats (broad)
Related Habitats (detailed)
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