African Black Oystercatcher

The African Black Oystercatcher is a large and noisy plover-like bird, with completely black plumage, red legs and a strong broad red bill used for smashing or prying open molluscs such as mussels, or for finding earthworms. The sexes are similar in appearance, but juveniles are browner than adults.

The African Black Oystercatcher is classified as Near Threatened (NT), is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

The African Black Oystercatcher is a large and noisy plover-like bird, with completely black plumage, red legs and a strong broad red bill used for smashing or prying open molluscs such as mussels, or for finding earthworms. The sexes are similar in appearance, but juveniles are browner than adults. The African Black Oystercatcher is unmistakable in flight with its all-dark plumage. The call is a distinctive loud piping, very similar to Common Pied Oystercatcher. More

African Black Oystercatcher, (Haematopus moquini) standing on the sand.jpg Eurasian Oystercatcher H. ostralegus Haematopus ostralegus He.jpg Pied Oystercatcher H. longirostris Pied Oystercatcher.jpg South Island Pied Oystercatcher H. finschi South Island pied oystercatcher 2c.JPG Chatham Island Oystercatcher H. chathamensis Variable Oystercatcher H. unicolor Variable Oystercatcher. More

See the African black oystercatcher at Two Oceans Aquarium in this exhibit: The Sappi River Meander * Marine fish * Beaked sandfish * Black musselcracker (poenskop) * Blue hottentot * Blue-cheek goby * Blue-green chromis More

African black oystercatcher in flight African black oystercatcher in flightPrint factsheet Facts - Also known as: African oystercatcher French: Huîtrier Noir Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Aves Order Charadriiformes Family Haematopodidae Genus More

The African black oystercatcher has glossy black plumage, which contrasts with its red eye, and bright orangey-red eye-ring and long bill. The sturdy legs are a deep pinkish-red. Males can be distinguished from females by their blunter, shorter bills (2), and immature oystercatchers have duller, browner plumage with a dark tipped bill (4). More

Photos of the rare African black oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini) on the rock of Dyer Island/South Africa. = The African Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini) is the only species of Oystercatchers that breeds in Africa. African Black Oystercatchers are found on the sandy or rocky shores along the coast and between the islands off Namibia and the eastern cape. In all probability you can find these birds in the following places: De Hoop nature Reserve, Koppie Alleen, Arniston and Walkers Bay. More

The African Black Oystercatcher has a breeding range extending from Lüderitz on the central Namibian coast to Port Edward (31°05'S, 30°15'E), KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa (Martin 1997). The core areas and highest densities in Namibia occur on rocky shores around the Luderitz peninsula and south to Elizabeth Bay in the Sperrgebiet, and the guano islands, particularly Possession Island and those in the Luderitz Bay (Hockey 1982, Simmons & Roux 2002). More

African Black Oystercatcher busy with his every day feeding in the environment. = Carel du Preez Artist: Carel du Preez previous browse art next Button_buy_preview Card: US$2.85 Print: from US$20.38change currency African Black Oystercatcher busy with his every day feeding in the environment. - This photo was taken at Beachview in the Eastern Cape in South Africa. More

Birdlife / African Black Oystercatcher Submenu - Information South Africa Accommodation, Hotels, TravelSouth Africa Explored with www.SA-Venues. More

The African Black Oystercatcher have black feathers, a bright orange/red, dagger More

The African Black Oystercatcher is the largest of all the species. Adults have jet black plumage, pinkish legs and a long, dagger-like orange-red bill. In addition its eye and eye ring are red. There is sexual dimorphism, females being larger and heavier with longer bills; a male weighing an average of about 660g and a female about 720g when fully grown. More

African Black Oystercatcher feeding on a tidal island at the very start of Noordhoek Beach. This photograph shows the beautiful bright red color of the birds beak and legs. The family of 3, with this summer's hatchling sporting an orange as opposed to red beak, was peacefully feeding on the island when a single male landed on a nearby island and started walking towards them. Family of oystercatchers on their little island. More

Photograph right: The African Black Oystercatcher in flight photographed from the beach immediately in front of Sunset Beach House. Oystercatcher flying off with limpet in mouth, from the rocks at the beach house. Image above from http://www.uct.ac.za/ The African black oystercatcher is in danger of extinction, its way of life increasingly threatened by man. It is the only oystercatcher which breeds in Africa. More