Pied Oystercatcher, Heamatopus longirostris
The Pied Oystercatcher is found in coastal areas all around Australia, except for areas of unbrocken cliffs such as the Great Australian Bite. They prefer mudflats, sandbanks and sandy ocean beaches. Rarely straying far from the coast, they are sometimes found on estuarine mudflats.
Oystercatchers feed on bivalve molluscs, prised apart with their specially adapted bills. Worms, crustaceans and insects are also eaten.
Pied Oystercatchers breed in pairs rather than colonies, setting up a territory of around 200m which is defended by both birds. They nest on sand, shell grit or shingle just above the high water mark on beaches, sandbars and the edges of estuaries and lagoons.Both parents incubate the eggs and care for the young.