African Oystercatcher
Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini )
The Black Oystercatcher ( Haematopus moquini ), also called African Black Oystercatcher, belongs to the order of Waders, Gulls and Auks ( Charadriiformes ). The species is found only in the coastal areas of southern Africa.
Appearance
This is in contrast to the observed in the European Wadden Sea Oystercatcher an almost completely black to brownish black bird. Only on the inner primaries are occasionally some white feathers. The beak is red and has an orange-yellow tip. The legs are flesh-colored. In young birds the Federsäume are brightly colored and the beak and the Iris matter.
Area of distribution and habitat
The Black Oystercatcher breeds on the coasts of Angola to South Africa. It can be observed in a number of different coastal areas, ranging from flat sandy beaches to rocky shore areas. The total population is estimated at 5,000 to 6,000 copies. The species is classified by the IUCN as Near Threatened ( near threatened ). Although the population has recovered in recent years, it is overall still very small. The problem is that the propagation time coincides with the time in which there is increased in the coastal areas of leisure activities. Particularly problematic are areas where a drive on the beach zone with automobiles is permitted. Here are periodically destroyed nests by vehicles and run over young birds. A ban on vehicles in the immediate beach area has led South Africa to an increase in population.
Black Oystercatchers are mostly non-migratory birds, but it can be determined a regionally limited migration. During the breeding season they move from the predominantly rocky coastal areas to those with a more sandy shoreline. In ideal habitats such areas are close together. They are occasionally also continue to observe inland, when prevail in the coastal areas unfavorable weather conditions.
Reproduction
The breeding season falls in the months of October to April, the main breeding season are December and January. Nests usually consist of two or more rarely one or three eggs. Incubation period is 32 days and the young birds fledge after forty days. Both parents birds are involved in the incubation of the eggs and the leadership of the young birds. On islands that lie off the coast, about 0.3 to 0.6 young birds are raised per pair. The breeding success is on the mainland, where the risk of loss is higher due to human activities and predation risk, significantly lower.
System
The earlier in the Canaries islands of Graciosa, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura observed endemic and now extinct Canarian Oystercatcher is sometimes classified as a subspecies of the Black Oystercatcher. Mostly the Black Oystercatcher but is treated as a monotypic species.