h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There are several species of Oystercatcher within the Haemotopus genus. The birds get their common names because the American Oystercatcher was observed in the 18th Century catching oysters. The species most likely to be seen in the UK is the Eurasian Oystercatcher Haemotopus ostralegus.

The Oystercatcher's beak is perfect for the job of locating and feeding on shellfish as it is long enough for digging in sand yet strong enough to prise open the shells.

When investigating the effect of Oystercatchers on Cockle populations, I found a thesis from 1980 http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/5009/1/290281.pdf - amazing what is online! I also found that Oystercatchers tend to choose larger cockles that are more likely to have had time to breed, whereas it is Shore Crabs that eat small cockles and hence have more of an effect on commercial populations. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256230018_The_effect_of_size_and_temperature_on_the_predation_of_cockles_Cerastoderma_edule_L_by_the_shore_crab_Carcinus_maenas_L