Scientific name:

Haematopus ostralegus

About:

A common wader, 40cm long, black and white with a long red bill and pinky red legs. Oystercatchers are very noisy, with a loud peep-ing call. On the coast, they specialise in eating shellfish, particularly cockles and muscles with they prise open.

How to identify:

<p>Unmistakeable.</p>

Where:

Widespread around the coast, also nest inland on gravel pits and large rivers.

Fantastic facts:

There are twelve species of oystercatcher in the world, all of which look very similar, being either black and white or plain black, with a red bill and pinky legs.