Ringing sites of Oystercatcher
(n=)Recovery sites of Oystercatcher
(n=)Facts
Birds ringed| Birds ringed | | 1.369 |
| Ringed as chicks | | 1.233 (90,1%) |
Recoveries| No. of recoveries | | 71 |
| No. of individuals | | 66 |
| Proportion recovered | | 4,8% |
Oystercatcher is the Faroese national bird and is not hunted. It is a common breeding bird in the Faroes with approximately 10,000 pairs. 1,376 have been ringed, 92% as chicks. They have been ringed all over the Faroes, most in Mikladalur, Kalsoy (132). The first oystercatcher was ringed in 1923 and about half were ringed in 1981-1995. 78 have been recovered, 48 abroad. All oystercatchers have been ringed during the breeding period and they all probably belong to the Faroese breeding population. 387 oystercatchers have been ringed abroad and recovered in the Faroes, the majority from Britain (380). Most Faroese oystercatchers winter in Britain and Ireland, with some also in France. The main cause of death is shooting (outside the Faroes). A total of 5% of Faroese ringed birds and 17% of birds that have been ringed abroad have been recovered dead because they were caught in sheep wool.
Read more about the species in the chapter from
The Faroese Bird Migration Atlas here 
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