Plate 47: American Oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
Shorebirds that can be heard from far away by their shrill and loud call.
Where the summer holidays are spent by the sea—in places where there are no bands, piers, “promenades,” and other abominations of “civilization”—one may spend delicious hours watching some of our “wading-birds.” On such parts of the coast as have a rocky shore one may be sure of finding the handsome oystercatcher, a black-and-white bird, with a long red beak, and flesh-coloured legs. His loud, shrill “wheep-wheep” seems to harmonize perfectly with his wild surroundings. His striking coloration, shrill note, and swift powerful flight, make confusion with any other bird impossible.
Birds in Flight by W. P. Pycraft
Suggestions
- Print out the notebooking pages provided below.
- Read the description of the American Oystercatcher out loud.
- Have a younger student orally narrate what was read. He can then copy a few lines of his narration onto the notebooking pages.
- Older students can read the text, Plate XLVII: American Oystercatcher, and provide a written narration.
- Sketch the bird. This encourages attention to detail, which will aid in identifying the bird later on. Another option is to use the printables provided below.
- Sketch the nest of the bird, along with the eggs. Note where the nest is usually found.
- Older students can include the taxonomy.
- Learn more about the American oystercatcher at Cornell.
- On one notebooking page note the facts:
- Description.
- Habitat.
- Range.
- Food.
- Nest.
- Eggs.
- Call.
Additional Resources
30 Narration Ideas
At some point you might appreciate some variety.
The Bird Study sections of our free nature study series: Our Wonderful World:
- Free Nature Studies: Hunting Birds With Eyes & Camera
- Free Nature Studies: Bird Guardians (Owls)
- Free Nature Studies: Landlord to the Birds
Printables & Notebooking Pages
American Oystercatcher Notebooking Pages
Free simple notebooking set.
Oystercatcher
Bird picture for notebook.
American Oystercatcher Range Map
For notebook from Cornell.
Bird Facts Notebooking Page
One option in a more graphic organizer style that is especially nice for noting the facts and range.
Enjoy the entire series:
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