Scholekster eet Japanse oester (Crassostrea Gigas)

An oystercatcher was observed feeding on a recent invader in the Wadden Sea: Crassostrea gigas. It had not collected this oyster itself. It was an oyster dropped on the dike by a herring gull, but left there unopened. Some oystercatchers have specialised (just as the turnstones here) on the leftovers of bivalves, mainly mussels, dropped on the pavement of the dike by herring gulls. Damage to the oyster shell was minimal: only a small opening along the shell margin was sufficient for the oystercatcher to consume the animal. The total handling time was less than 3 minutes for this oyster of 82.3 mm length.