In their spare time, oystercatchers often rest and digest, an activity known as roosting for shorebirds. Since high tide often covers up their shellfish meals, that is prime time for roosting, according to Oystercatchertracking.org.
Defense Flight
(Image credit: Walker Golder)
An oystercatcher chases a turkey vulture that got too close to the shorebirds' breeding territory. Turkey vultures don't normally interact with oystercatchers, so this encounter is unusual.
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Wynne was a reporter at The Stamford Advocate. She has interned at Discover magazine and has freelanced for The New York Times and Scientific American's web site. She has a masters in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Utah.
