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Historic Status

Although John James Audubon alleged that the American Oystercatcher bred as far north as Labrador in the 1800s (Audubon 1840), there is no historical evidence to verify this assertion. There is no doubt, however, about whether the American Oystercatcher has long been on the Massachusetts coast. Alexander Wilson received a specimen shot in Boston Harbor sometime prior to 1814, and Daniel Webster, the statesman, shot two in Marshfield in 1837 (Howe & Allen 1901). Most observers only knew the species as an accidental southern visitor for the next century and a half, with only 13 appearances in the state between 1900 and 1955 (Griscom & Snyder 1955). The frequency of American Oystercatcher reports gradually increased for the next 15 years, until a pair was found breeding on Martha's Vineyard in 1969 (Petersen & Meservey 2003).

Atlas 1 Distribution

After a rather sordid early history in Massachusetts, the American Oystercatcher seemed ready to give the Bay State another chance by the time of Atlas 1. All breeding records in Atlas 1 came from Cape Cod and the Islands, with only a handful of mainland records situated on the Mid to Outer Cape Cod. The Islands were really the center of breeding oystercatcher distribution, especially Nantucket, Tuckernuck, and Muskeget Islands, which together accounted for half of all occupied blocks. The eastern side of Martha’s Vineyard also hosted breeding American Oystercatchers in the late 1970s.

Atlas 2 Distribution and Change

The American Oystercatcher has made a strong recovery and has become a fairly common breeding bird along our coast, expanding into 59 new blocks since Atlas 1. An American Oystercatcher Working Group used focused research to evaluate the status and trends of oystercatchers breeding on the Atlantic coast and has provided improved understanding of oystercatcher breeding biology and the potential threats to this species’ expanding population.

Atlas 1 Map

Atlas 2 Map

Atlas Change Map