There are 1o living species in this family. Oystercatchers live on coasts in all areas of the world, except for the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Oystercatchers are shorebirds with long, strong, pointed orange or red bills that they use to open oysters and other bivalves. They also eat fish and crabs.

Most species are black or dark brown with white undersides. Males and females look alike.

Oystercatchers nest in a scrape on the ground. The female lays 1-3 eggs. Both the female and the male incubate the eggs. During the breeding season, oystercatchers are very territorial.

The species in this family include the black oystercatcher, the South Island oystercatcher, the sooty oystercatcher, the pied oystercatcher, the African oystercatcher, the Eurasian oystercatcher, and the American oystercatcher. One species, the Canarian black oystercatcher, is extinct.