The oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus as a predator of the bivalve Macoma balthica in the Dutch Wadden Sea

The Oystercatcher is a specialised feeder on bivalves in estuarine areas. Among the different prey specics taken Macoma can be considered to be an important one. In this study some relations between Oystercatchers and this prey are described: the method of localization of Macoma, the consequences the way of localization has for the sizes of Macoma that are taken (selection for size), the way Macoma is opened and the role Macoma plays as bulk food for Oystercatchers. . Zie Summary