Through targeted interventions, the American Oystercatcher population has rebounded by 45% since 2008, proving that shorebirds can recover with the proper scientific approach, funding, and collaboration.
“They were not quite on the brink of extinction, but they were heading that way,” explains Shiloh Schulte, an expert on the species with the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences.
By 2008, the population of the American Oystercatcher – a striking coastal bird with distinctive, yellow-rimmed eyes and a bright red-orange beak – declined to 10,000 birds. Given the situation’s urgency, a comprehensive population survey from New York to Texas gave valuable insights into roosting patterns and breeding success. It enabled conservationists to implement effective recovery strategies in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, helping the population rebound by 45%. Manomet and the American Oystercatcher Working Group spearhead a decade-long $10 million funding initiative that will bring together 35 coastal conservation organizations to restore coastal ecosystems, benefiting numerous shorebird species. The mission is to actively engage local communities, conservation organizations, and policymakers to implement science-based solutions.
