American Oystercatcher
American OystercatcherAmerican OystercatcherAmerican OystercatcherAmerican Oystercatcher

American Oystercatcher

Haematopus palliatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
70–80% · Very likely
overall probability at Península Valdés
275 Verified records at Península Valdés
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), occasionally called the American pied oystercatcher, is a member of family Haematopodidae. Originally called the "sea pie", it was renamed in 1731 when naturalist Mark Catesby claimed that he had observed the bird eating oysters. The current population of American oystercatchers is estimated to be 50,000 – 99,999 mature individuals. There are estimated to be 1,500 breeding pairs along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the US. The bird is marked by its black and white body and a long, thick orange beak. Wikipedia →

70–80% of wildlife watchers report a American Oystercatcher sighting in Península Valdés, based on 275 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Península Valdés

Blackish Oystercatcher
LC

Blackish Oystercatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haematopus ater

50–60% · Likely
Magellanic Oystercatcher
LC

Magellanic Oystercatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haematopus leucopodus

5–10% · With luck
Dominican Gull
LC

Dominican Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus dominicanus

90–100% · Very likely
Snowy Sheathbill
LC

Snowy Sheathbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chionis albus

50–60% · Likely
South American Tern
LC

South American Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna hirundinacea

40–50% · Likely
Dolphin Gull

Dolphin Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucophaeus scoresbii

40–50% · Possible
Royal Tern

Royal Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus maximus

30–40% · Possible
Southern Lapwing
LC

Southern Lapwing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vanellus chilensis

20–30% · Possible
Brown-hooded Gull

Brown-hooded Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus maculipennis

20–30% · Possible
Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus sandvicensis

20–30% · Possible
Baird's Sandpiper
LC

Baird's Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris bairdii

20–30% · With luck
White-rumped Sandpiper
VU

White-rumped Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris fuscicollis

10–20% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

70–80
Jan
70–80
Feb
70–80
Mar
80–90
Apr
80–90
May
70–80
Jun
70–80
Jul
70–80
Aug
60–70
Sep
70–80
Oct
80–90
Nov
70–80
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Península Valdés 🇦🇷 Argentina
70–80%
2 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
70–80%
3 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
20–30%
4 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
20–30%
5 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
6 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
7 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
8 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
9 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
10 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
11 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
12 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
13 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
14 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
15 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
16 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
18 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Insufficient data
20 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
21 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
22 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
23 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
24 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
25 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
26 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
27 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
28 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a American Oystercatcher in Península Valdés?

About 79% of wildlife watchers report a American Oystercatcher sighting in Península Valdés, based on 275 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see American Oystercatcher in Península Valdés?

November has the highest sighting rate for American Oystercatcher in Península Valdés in our monthly data.

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