Black Oystercatcher

Homer, Alaska

We saw a few oystercatchers here and there, but this oystercatcher gave us a perfect profile while foraging on an oyster bed. It’s charcoal black plumage and bright orange bill against the oyster bed background made it one of the most striking birds I photographed in Alaska.

Interesting Fact: Despite their name, Black Oystercatchers don’t eat only oysters. They use their strong orange bills to pry open mussels, limpets, and other shellfish along rocky shorelines.