The African oystercatcher or African black oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini) is a large charismatic wader resident to the mainland coasts and offshore islands of southern Africa. This oystercatcher has a population of over 6,000 adults, which breed between November and April. The scientific name moquini commemorates the French naturalist Alfred Moquin-Tandon who discovered and named this species before Bonaparte.
Description
The African oystercatcher is a large, noisy wader, with completely black plumage, red legs and a strong broad red bill. The sexes are similar in appearance, however, females are larger and have a slightly longer beak than males. Juveniles have soft grey plumage and do not express the characteristic red legs and beak until after they fledged. The call is a distinctive loud piping, very similar to Eurasian oystercatchers. As the Eurasian oystercatcher is a migratory species they only occur as a vagrant in southern Africa, and its black-and-white plumage makes confusion impossible.
Typically sedentary African oystercatchers rarely leave their territories, which include a nesting site and feeding grounds. These will usually be located on or near rocky shores where they can feed.
Ecology
Feeding
African oystercatchers predominantly feed on molluscs such as mussels and limpets, although they are known to also feed on polychaetes, insects and potentially even fish. They are adapted to pry open mussels and loosen limpets off the rocks but have been recorded picking through sand to locate other food items.
Breeding
The nest is a bare scrape on pebbles, sand or shingle within about of the high-water mark. On rock ledges there may be a rim of shells to keep the eggs in place. The female generally lays two eggs, but there may be one or three, which are incubated by both adults. The incubation period varies between 27 and 39 days and the young take a further 38 or so days to fledge. Breeding success is greater on offshore islands where there are few predators and less disturbance than mainland sites.
The eggs average about in length, ranging from , and have a breadth of , ranging from .
Longevity and mortality
The lifespan of an African oystercatcher is about 35 years, of which they are known to pair up for 25 years. Although adults are rarely predated, most mainland egg and chick fatalities are due to disturbance by people, off-road vehicles, dog attacks and predation by the kelp gull (Larus dominicanus) and other avian predators. A long-term program by the South African Ringing Scheme is tracking the dispersal of ringed birds to keep conservation assessments in South Africa and Namibia up to date.
Gallery
<gallery>
Image:African Black Oystercatcher RWD2.jpg|Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
Image:Haematopus moquini P1040458.JPG |Feeding on the rocky shore
Image:African Black Oystercatcher, (Haematopus moquini) standing on the sand.jpg|Taken in South Africa
Image:Three African Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus moquini) in flight.jpg|Three in flight
Image:African Black Oystercatcher RWD1.jpg|at De Hoop, South Africa
Image:Oystercatcher nest three eggs.jpg|Three egg clutch
Image:African Black Oystercatcher chick.jpg|African oystercatcher chick
Image:African Black Oystercatcher shading eggs.jpg|African oystercatcher shading eggs
Image:African black oystercatchers.JPG|A pair in flight
Image:African Black Oystercatcher 01 (3545455502).jpg|African oystercatcher 01
Image:African Black Oystercatcher SMTC.jpg|African oystercatcher
Image:Haematopus moquini.jpg|Haematopus moquini
Image:Haematopus moquini P1040460.JPG|Haematopus moquini
Image:Haematopus moquini portrait.png|Haematopus moquini portrait
Image:Haematopus moquini young.png|Haematopus moquini young
Image:Haematopus moquini P1040465.JPG|Haematopus moquini
</gallery>
References
External links
- Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.
- Birdlife Information site.
- Archive Information site.
- Two Oceans Aquarium Information site
- Reporting of resightings of ringed birds at SAFRING
- African oystercatcher Structured guide to the species in southern Africa