Quick identification
American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)
A large black-and-white shorebird with a thick red-orange bill, pink legs and bright yellow eye.
Season and local range: Year-round coastal resident.
Habitat and island setting
Oyster reefs, spoil islands, jetties, shell bars and exposed tidal edges.
Where to look
Scan from Isla Blanca's jetty, bayside overlooks and boat routes through the Laguna Madre without landing near resting birds. Birds may move as tides, wind, fronts, water levels and activity at the site change.
What the bird is doing
Pairs defend territories and use the bill to open shellfish. Nest scrapes and chicks are exceptionally exposed, so give posted or roped areas a wide berth.
Watching birds
Use binoculars or a camera zoom, stay on public paths and leave feeding, resting and nesting birds enough room to continue normal behavior. If a bird stops feeding, stands alert, calls repeatedly or moves away because of you, increase the distance. Check access information in the South Padre Island birding guide before making a special trip.