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African Black Oystercatcher




  Name African Black Oystercatcher
  Regnum Animal ia
  Phylum Chordata
  Classis Aves
  Ordo Charadriiformes
  Familia Haematopodidae
  Genus '''Haematopus''
  Species '''''H moquini'''''
  Binomial ''Haematopus moquini''
  Binomial Authority ( Bonaparte , 1856 )


The African Black Oystercatcher, ''Haematopus moquini'', is a large Wader which is a resident breeder on the rocky coasts and islands of southern Africa . This Oystercatcher has a population of less than 5,000 adults.

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 Mollusc s such as Mussel s, or for finding Earthworm s. 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 . That Migratory species can occur as a vagrant in southern Africa, but its black-and-white plumage makes confusion impossible.

The nest is a bare scrape on pebbles or shingles. The female generally lays 2-4 Egg s, which are incubated by both adults.


REFERENCE

  • ''Shorebirds'' by Hayman, Marchant and Prater ISBN 0-873403-19-4



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