Oystercatcher

Details

Since 1983, Oystercatchers breeding on the saltmarsh of Schiermonnikoog and the adjacent polder have been caught and individually colour-marked. Both adult breeders and nearly fledged chicks are marked.

Observations of these marked animals allow us:

1. To estimate (annual) survival and investigate which factors impact survival (age, quality breeding habitat, quality wintering habitat, winter weather).
2. To determine connectivity between breeding areas and wintering areas (where do Oystercatchers that breed in a certain area spend the winter and vice versa) and the site fidelity to these areas.
3. To determine where fledged Oystercatchers settle as breeders, i.e. natal dispersal. Do they settle in the area where they grew up? If not, does the new habitat resemble the natal habitat?

This knowledge is very important to identify the causes of the dramatic population decline of this longlived species (current record 46 years) in the Netherlands : due to an annual decrease of 5%, the population has more than halved since 1990.

This project is a cooperation between NABU, NIOO-KNAW, Sovon Vogelonderzoek Nederland, Stichting Onderzoek Scholekster (SOS), RuG en WMR.