Breeding Season Abundance and Distribution of American Oystercatchers in South Carolina

Foraging Proficiency During the Nonbreeding Season of a Specialized Forager: Are Juvenile American Oystercatchers "Bumble-Beaks"1Compared to Adults?

“…The lower success rates of adults in October may, however, be related to the influx of migrants that arrive after the breeding season. Two-thirds of the oystercatchers that winter in South Carolina originate from more northern states (Sanders et al 2008) where oysters may not be the predominant prey. Therefore, nonresidents may have to hone their handling skills with respect to oysters.…”

Breeding population size and trends of American Oystercatchers on small islands of Bahía Santa María‐La Reforma, Sinaloa, Mexico

“…data). The presence of predators like coyotes can influence bird reproduction either directly through predation of adults or offspring or indirectly by causing desertion of breeding areas by adults (Sanders et al , Murphy ). The numbers of non‐territorial birds varied during the breeding season and between islands and years.…”

“…Other intrinsic factors, such as their monogamous mating system, longevity, and fidelity to territories, can increase the importance of habitat availability on the distribution and abundance of American Oystercatchers during the breeding season. Because these intrinsic factors suggest that the same pairs maintain the same territories throughout their lives (Sanders et al , American Oystercatcher Working Group et al ), the availability of habitat for new pairs may be limited. Our results, therefore, support the hypothesis that habitat availability is a limiting factor for American Oystercatchers during the breeding season at Bahía Santa María‐La Reforma (Davis et al , Wilke et al , Palacios et al ).…”

“…On average, the mix of marshes and dunes had a higher density of presumed pairs than the mangrove, indicating that the distribution of adult American Oystercatchers was not homogeneous among the available habitats. During the breeding season, American Oystercatchers tend to select sandy beaches with no vegetation and providing easy access to muddy plains where they can forage (Sanders et al , American Oystercatcher Working Group et al ). This differential distribution by habitat has been documented for other populations of American Oystercatchers in the Atlantic region (Lauro and Burguer , Clark and Shutler , Sanders et al ) and suggests that there is a gradient of habitat quality and the ability of oystercatchers to obtain territories that can have a significant effect on their reproductive success (American Oystercatcher Working Group et al ).…”

The American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) Working Group: 15 Years of Collaborative Focal Species Research and Management

“…The work was (Nol and Humphrey 1994). New research began on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in 1995 (Novick 1996) and in Georgia and South Carolina in 2000 (Sanders et al 2008). The American Oystercatcher Working Group emerged spontaneously as waterbird biologists along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Coasts of the United States recognized the potential for the American Oystercatcher to serve as a focal species for collaborative research and management.…”