American Oystercatchers Horsing Around

This distinctive shorebird, with its bright red bill, can be spotted, as its name implies, eating oysters in coastal regions of North and South America during the summer and in Hispaniola during the winter. The species nests right on the beach, preferring high ground or sandy nooks with good cover. Even though they are barely more than piles of seashells and pebbles, oystercatcher nests are so well camouflaged that they are difficult to spot from even just a few feet away. 

This image was a Top 100 photo from the 2011 Audubon Magazine Photography Awards. To see all of the photos, click here.

More on the American Oystercatcher:

Birds and Climate Change Special Report: The American Oystercatcher