Pied Oystercatcher

A conspicuous black-and-white shorebird of sandy and rocky coastlines, estuaries and tidal flats around the Australian coast, where it probes wet sand and mud with its long orange bill for shellfish, worms and crabs. It is most easily seen at low tide when feeding grounds are exposed, and pairs are highly territorial, often giving loud piping calls when approached near a nest or chicks on open beaches. Breeding activity, and therefore the greatest sensitivity, runs through the warmer months.