The Oystercatcher is a striking and familiar wader, its pied plumage contrasting with the bright orange bill and pinkish legs.
The species breeds widely, both around the coast and inland, particularly in northern Britain, whilst during winter large flocks congregate on our estuaries. In Ireland the breeding population remains predominantly coastal. Britain & Ireland support a significant proportion of the global population of this species.
Ringing studies highlight that there is little interchange between the Atlantic subpopulation – which includes those breeding in Iceland, the Faeroes, Britain and Ireland – and the continental subpopulation, which is made up of birds from Scandinavia and the Low Countries.
Extract taken from BTO
