Scientific and Latin name : haematopus ostralagus

Group : haematopodidae

Description :
bill : long and red

head : black
one half of its body is black, the other half is white
black wings, black tail
orange legs

height : 40 to 45 cm

wingspan : 80 to 86 cm.

weight : 400 to 700 grams.

Diet : eats shells, especially oysters.

Habitat : flat shores, silt landscapes, bays, estuaries but also rocky coasts.
In Brittany, there are about 400 couples.

Migration :
In winter, it can be seen on every western european coasts.
In summer, it can be found in Great-Britain.

Lifespan : 36 years

Call: high-piched and noisy chirp.

It usually lays 3 eggs –and the nests are full of shells.

photo : Alain Fossé