The Oystercatcher is the most widespread species of the Haematopodidae family. It is established for nesting in sandy coastal areas, lagoons, deltas, sand quarries. During migration, however, it can also stop in humid or cultivated areas of the interior. It is present in the European, Asian and African continents, winters on the Atlantic coasts and south to Mauritania, while it is scarce in the central-western Mediterranean. In Italy the main colony is located in the Po Delta, which well represents its ideal habitat. 40 centimeters long, weighing about a pound, it reaches 80 centimeters of wingspan. The plumage is black on the head and on the back and is white on the chest, in the lower part and under the wings. Very pronounced the beak (about ten centimeters) - bright red or orange and particularly strong - with which it manages to open the shells to feed the molluscs. Because of this characteristic, the Beccaccia di mare is also called Ostrichiere. But worms and small invertebrates are also part of its diet. The nesting takes place in spring, the only time when the Oystercatcher lives more secluded, even if the nests, built between the sandbanks, are not placed too far from each other. Two to four eggs are laid, both the female and the male hatch for up to 27 days. Two days after birth, the chicks are ready to leave the nest.
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