Visit us from June 11 through July 9 to catch the oystercatcher in our reading room! And check out our previously featured shorebirds here: piping plover, herring gull, brown pelican.
Elizabeth Roscio
Preservation Librarian
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Catch an Oystercatcher in the Library!
With summer and beach days on the horizon, it's time to share some shorebirds in our Audubon case! This month, we're displaying the Pied Oyster-catcher (plate 223). A fun addition to this depiction is an as-seen-from-above sketch of its head and long beak; the only other time that we've seen this addition to Audubon's prints is in the American Flamingo.
According to the Bird Observer website, American Oystercatchers are migratory shorebird that breed from Maine all the way to Florida. Here in Massachusetts, 25% of the state’s oystercatchers have nested on Nantucket, 20% on Martha’s Vineyard, 15% on the Bristol County coast of Buzzards Bay, and 16% in Boston Harbor (link). Maybe you will spot one, with its bright-colored and prominent beak, on your next beach trip!
Visit us from June 11 through July 9 to catch the oystercatcher in our reading room! And check out our previously featured shorebirds here: piping plover, herring gull, brown pelican.
Visit us from June 11 through July 9 to catch the oystercatcher in our reading room! And check out our previously featured shorebirds here: piping plover, herring gull, brown pelican.