The variable oystercatcher is a species of wader in the family Haematopodidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. The Māori name is tōrea-pango. They are also known as 'red bills'.
Region
New Zealand and offshore islands
Typical Environment
Found year-round along sandy and rocky coasts, estuaries, tidal flats, and sandspits throughout mainland New Zealand and nearby offshore islands (excluding the Chatham Islands, which have their own species). They favor wide intertidal flats rich in shellfish and polychaete worms. Nest sites are typically on open beaches, dunes, shell banks, or gravel above the high-tide line. Outside the breeding season they may gather at favored roosts on sandspits and estuary margins.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 100 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The variable oystercatcher is a striking coastal wader of New Zealand, famed for its bright red bill, eyes, and pink legs. Its name reflects the plumage range from all-black to black-and-white morphs. Pairs are long-lived and strongly territorial, defending stretches of beach where they nest in simple scrapes above the high-tide line. They use their chisel-like bills to pry open bivalves or hammer through shells.
Piebald variable oystercatcher
Temperament
assertive and territorial
Flight Pattern
strong direct flight with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically forms long-term monogamous pairs that defend coastal territories, especially during the breeding season. Nests are shallow scrapes in sand or shingle, often sparsely lined. Both adults incubate and aggressively mob intruders; chicks are precocial and follow parents to feeding areas soon after hatching.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocal and noisy, giving clear, piping whistles and sharp ‘kleep’ alarms. Pairs perform loud duets and display calls when defending territories.
Plumage
Plumage varies from entirely black to pied, with some birds showing white underparts and wing patches; feathers are sleek and unpatterned where black.
Diet
Feeds primarily on intertidal bivalves such as cockles and pipis, as well as mussels, oysters, and other molluscs. Also takes crabs, marine worms, and small crustaceans. Uses prying, stabbing, and hammering techniques with the robust bill to open or dislodge prey. Foraging method often depends on substrate and prey type.
Preferred Environment
Intertidal sand and mud flats, sandy beaches with abundant shellfish, and rocky shores with mussel beds. Will also probe around estuary margins, shell banks, and occasionally adjacent coastal pasture or wrack lines.
