[Length 12.5 in. Wingspan 33 in.]

This Northern Lapwing was photographed at Cley Marshes RSPB Reserve, Norfolk, England. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 300 f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: May 2002)

[Length 17.5 in. Wingspan 32 in.]

The strikingly patterned American Oystercatcher is a typical resident of the barrier beaches along much of the eastern US. Its loud, piping calls carry great distances, and often the bird is heard long before it is seen. Oystercatchers use their knife-like bills to chisel and pry open a variety of salt and brackish water shellfish, not just oysters, as their name implies. This one was photographed on one of the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in Virginia. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: May 1990)

[Length 17.5 in. Wingspan 32 in.]

This American Oystercatcher was photographed in Corpus Christi, Texas. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: November 1980)

[Length 17.5 in. Wingspan 32 in.]

This American Oystercatcher in flight was photographed along the central New Jersey coast. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: June 1977)

[Length 17.5 in. Wingspan 32 in.]

This American Oystercatcher in flight was photographed at Stone Harbor, New Jersey. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: July 1988)

[Length 17.5 in. Wingspan 32 in.]

This American Oystercatcher was photographed at French Town Road, Port Bolivar, TX. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens + Nikkor TC14E II 1.4x Teleconverter (EFL=630mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: April 30, 2008)

[Length 17.5 in. Wingspan 32 in.]

This American Oystercatcher was photographed at French Town Road, Port Bolivar, TX. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: May 6, 2008)

[Length 17.5 in. Wingspan 32 in.]

This American Oystercatcher was photographed at the Boca Chica beach, TX. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: May 4, 2009)