Unlimited edition. 18 x 24 inch, museum-quality poster on matte paper.

Aptly named, the American oystercatcher feeds almost exclusively on shellfish, oysters among them. It’s hard work to pry open a closed clam or oyster without the proper tool – so how does the oystercatcher do it? The bird’s preferred technique relies on keen eyes and good timing; it spots its quarry when the mollusk is feeding, shell open. Moving fast, the oystercatcher thrusts its bill into the shell’s gap and swiftly severs the bivalve’s adductor muscle; the shellfish can no longer close its shell and there’s nothing left to do but die (or dine, in the case of the bird). But what if the oystercatcher isn’t quick enough to pull off the bill jab technique? In those cases, it has to pick up the shellfish and hammer it against rocks to break open the shell or, as I’ve seen more than once, use its strong bill like a woodpecker, rapping directly on the mollusk shell’s joint until it breaks through.

The scientific binomial of the American oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus, translates as “cloaked blood foot.” So dramatic! Curiously, that name fits especially well with my Field Guide color column representation, with the pinks, reds, oranges, and yellows at its “foot.”

Note: These archival poster prints feature rich, appealing colors. I encourage customers to take care in handling them until they are framed/protected for display; the darker colors on the matte paper can be scratched. They ship rolled, so customers need to flatten them before framing (or have their framer do so).

Charitable Sales Model: Whenever one of these poster prints is purchased, a charitable contribution equal to 10% of the print’s cost (or $3.60) is made to a nonprofit working to tackle environmental or social challenges. Read more about my charitable sales model here.