oys·ter·catch·er

(oi′stər-kăch′ər)

Any of several shorebirds of the genus Haematopus, having black or black-and-white plumage and a long, heavy orange bill and feeding on mollusks, crustaceans, and other small invertebrates.

[From the belief that the birds eat mainly oysters, since they are often seen feeding on mollusk beds although they very rarely if ever take oysters.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

oystercatcher

(ˈɔɪstəˌkætʃə)

(Animals) any shore bird of the genus Haematopus and family Haematopodidae, having a black or black-and-white plumage and a long stout laterally compressed red bill

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

oys′ter•catch`er

or oys′ter catch`er,

any of several heavy-billed shorebirds comprising the family Haematopodidae, that have chiefly black-and-white plumage and feed largely on bivalve mollusks.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

oystercatcher - black-and-white shorebird with stout legs and bill; feed on oysters etc.

oyster catcher

limicoline bird, shore bird, shorebird - any of numerous wading birds that frequent mostly seashores and estuaries

genus Haematopus, Haematopus - oystercatchers

Translations

Austernfischer

huitrierhuîtrier

beccaccia di mare

oystercatcher

[ˈɔɪstəˌkætʃəʳ] N → ostrero m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

First, some species of the Charadriidae family, such as the oystercatcher, began to appear in July," the ecologist said.

The Migration of Birds from Bulgaria has Already Begun and is in Full Swing

Lapwing, curlew and oystercatcher are all on the red and amber list, and since the 1960s there's been a widespread decline of golden plover across Scotland.

RSPB needs to be more transparent; Letters to the editor Write to: Letters to the editor, The Press and Journal, 1 Marischal Square, Broad Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1BL. email: pj.letters@ajl.co.uk All letters are subject to editing and must include your full address and daytime telephone number for verification. Thank you

What sort of creature is an oystercatcher? A Afish B Abird C A mammal D A snake 10.

General Knowledge Quiz

Among the waders were Curlew, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Knot, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Golden Plover.

PUBLIC TURN OUT FOR LITTLE BIT OF WADING

'Whatever will you tell your mam, bach?' Owen had asked in the Oystercatcher, taking a nervous mouthful of beer and replacing the glass carefully on the beer mat.

MORNING SERIAL

Key species include Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Knot and Dunlin.

Estuary bird study takes flight

Iolo, a familiar face from wildlife TV programmes such as Springwatch and Iolo's Snowdonia will be talking about his experiences working as a Species Officer for the RSPB, recalling stories from that time such as the farmer who held an egg collector over a 40-foot cliff to a colleague who kept half a village awake with his snoring, to an oystercatcher that briefly held up Prince Charles' train.

Wildlife TV star comes to Colwyn Bay

Formerly named Oystercatcher XXVIII, she claimed line and overall honours in the 2012 Okinawa-Tokai race, her maiden regatta.

KLC Bengal7

Abstract: The American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus palliatus) is currently listed as a species of high concern by the United States Shorebird Conservation Plan.

Circulating fat-soluble vitamin concentrations and nutrient composition of aquatic prey eaten by American oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus palliatus) in the Southeastern United States

Our study organisms are a common intertidal prey item (the owl limpet Lottia gigantea) and its low tide (the black oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani) and high tide (the sea star Pisaster ochraceus) predators.

The effect of low tide temperature on the susceptibility of limpets to predation

ABSTRACT--The breeding biology of the Black Oystercatcher (Haemotopus bachmani) was studied on Triangle Island, British Columbia, Canada in 2003-2011.

Biology of Black Oystercatchers breeding on Triangle Island, British Columbia, 2003-2011