{"id":4617,"date":"2012-03-12T05:00:02","date_gmt":"2012-03-12T12:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=4617"},"modified":"2025-08-24T12:27:40","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T17:27:40","slug":"american-oystercatcher-feeding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/03\/12\/american-oystercatcher-feeding\/","title":{"rendered":"American Oystercatcher Feeding"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve always liked this photo because it shows how this American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus<\/em>)\u00a0is using its long bill to pry open a shell. (photographed at Fort De Soto County Park, Florida)<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Oystercatcher with incoming wave – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/800, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The tip of the bill is squared off and thin and\u00a0as it gets thicker towards the top it makes a nice wedge for opening the shells so the bird can get to the mollusk inside.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my American Oystercatcher photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’ve always liked this photo because it shows how this American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) is using its long bill to pry open a shell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":153334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,27,25,704],"tags":[4004,3974,4039,14752,4040,173,4077,22,10613,5988,3816,1262,4017,1263,4891,274,3996,4119],"class_list":["post-4617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-oystercatchers","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","tag-adult","tag-american-oystercatcher","tag-beach","tag-coastal-island","tag-feeding","tag-gulf-coast","tag-gulf-of-mexico","tag-haematopus-palliatus","tag-mollusk","tag-oystercatcher","tag-oystercatchers","tag-prying","tag-sand","tag-shell","tag-shore","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-water","tag-waves"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-feeding-mia-mcpherson-6278.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-1ct","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8068,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/04\/10\/american-oystercatcher-with-prey\/","url_meta":{"origin":4617,"position":0},"title":"American Oystercatcher With Prey","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"American Oystercatchers were among my favorite shorebirds to photograph at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach when I lived in Florida.","rel":"","context":"In "American Oystercatchers"","block_context":{"text":"American Oystercatchers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-oystercatchers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Oystercatcher with prey, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4781,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/04\/13\/american-oystercatcher-friday-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":4617,"position":1},"title":"American Oystercatcher – Friday Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 13, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"These two photos are of the same adult American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) in sequential order taken at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida. 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