Pied Oystercatcher

1. Bold black and white plumage with a crisp border between the black breast and white belly

2. Long, thick, chisel-shaped bright orange-red bill

3. Distinctive whistled “peepapeep” or “pleep-pleep” calls, especially in flight

Australian Pied Oystercatchers are specialized feeders, prying open bivalve molluscs with their strong, chisel-shaped bills. They also eat worms, crustaceans, and insects, foraging by probing mud or sand or by sight. Breeding occurs from August to January (earlier in the north), with pairs defending territories and nesting in simple scrapes above the high-water mark on beaches or estuaries. Clutch size is usually 2–3 eggs, and both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties. Unusually for waders, parents actively feed their chicks, breaking up food and delivering it directly to the young. Chicks fledge after 5–9 weeks but may remain with their parents for several months.

Australian Pied Oystercatchers inhabit most of Australia’s coastline, favouring sandy beaches, mudflats, sandbanks, and estuaries, and are less common on rocky or shingle shores. They are rarely found far from the coast but may occasionally venture onto estuarine mudflats or short pasture near the shore. The best chance to see them is at mid to low tide when they are actively foraging in the intertidal zone. They are typically wary of humans and seldom allow close approach, so a patient and quiet approach is recommended for observation.