Oystercatcher

Oystercatchers are another aquatic bird that visits Galway in the winter. Bright orange beaks, piercing orange eyes, and black-and-white plumage make them hard to miss along our shorelines. They are noisy birds that can be found roaming our sandy beaches in search of food. Oystercatchers originate from Iceland and the Faroe islands but can be spotted in Galway between September and March. They are the national bird of the Faroe Islands. Like some of the other birds we’ve mentioned, ‘Oystercatcher’ is a misnomer. Oddly, these birds rarely eat oysters. However, they do feed on smaller invertebrates like mussels and cockles, which they break open with their sharp beaks (by prying or hammering on the shell).