American oystercatcher

Oystercatchers open shellfish by stabbing the bill between the shells and cutting the muscle that holds them shut, or by hammering. Pairs often stay together for years and defend beach territories loudly.

American oystercatchers depend on healthy oyster reefs and undisturbed beaches, and they declined sharply in the twentieth century. Georgia's barrier islands support an important share of the Atlantic coast population, and their numbers show how well beaches are shared between people and nesting birds.

Nest — A shallow scrape in sand on the beach or among shells
Eggs — Usually two or three
Incubation — About 24 to 29 days
Chicks — Leave the nest within a day, but depend on parents for food for weeks
Flight — At about five weeks
Lifespan — Wild birds over twenty years are recorded

• Eggs and chicks on the beach are nearly invisible; posted nesting areas protect them.
• Dogs off lead on beaches flush adults, leaving eggs to overheat or be taken.
• Oystercatchers are fed by their parents longer than most shorebirds, so a chick alone for a moment is not orphaned.

• A chick sitting still on the sand is abandoned. It is hiding; its parents are close by and will return when people leave.

• Black skimmer
• Willet
• Wilson's plover