How big is a black oystercatcher?

What is an African oystercatcher?

The African oystercatcher is a large, noisy wader, with completely black plumage, red legs and a strong broad red bill.

What is the difference between male and female oystercatchers?

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.

How much does a Eurasian oystercatcher weigh?

The Eurasian oystercatcher is the lightest on average, at 526 grams (1 pound 2 1⁄2 ounces), while the sooty oystercatcher is the heaviest, at 819 g (1 lb 13 oz). The plumage of all species is either all-black, or black (or dark brown) on top and white underneath.

What is an African black oystercatcher?

The African Black Oystercatcher is a black bird with pink legs and feet, a bright orange-red bill and red eyes surrounded by an orange eye ring. This black bird is found along the coast of southern Africa. Both male and female have the same plumage colouration.

How many oystercatchers are there in South Africa?

There are 12 known species of oystercatchers worldwide of which only two can be found along the coast of South Africa. The African black oystercatcher is related to the European oystercatcher ( Haematopus ostralegus ), which visits the coast of South Africa.

What is the difference between the Atlantic and Pacific oystercatcher?

Compared with the Atlantic form ( palliatus) the northernmost Pacific subspecies ( frazari, rare in California) is darker above, lacks white in the inner primaries, and often shows dark mottling below. All of these plumage features could be a result of occasional hybridization with Black Oystercatcher.

Does the oystercatcher eat oysters?

Despite its name, oysters do not form a large part of its diet. The bird still lives up to its name, as few if any other wading birds are capable of opening oysters at all. This oystercatcher is unmistakable in flight, with white patches on the wings and tail, otherwise black upperparts, and white underparts.

How did humans affect the African oystercatcher?

Humans have had both positive and negative impacts on the population of these birds. The introduction of an alien invasive Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) increased the food availability of the African Black Oystercatchers and allowed the birds to explore new feeding niches.

How many species of flycatchers are in the world?

There are 139 species worldwide, six in Southern Africa. Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.

Where can I find information about South African birds?

SouthAfrica.co.za provides informative, educational content on many South African bird species that ornithologists and bird-watchers would enjoy. Find out all about the birds of South Africa including both common and rare bird species.

What is the difference between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean?

General characteristics of the Pacific Between the Pacific and Atlantic ocean there is a difference in size, the first of them occupies more than 33% of the surface of the globe. He has the greatest depths, lower water temperature and salt concentration.

How are Atlantic and Pacific salmon related to each other?

How are Atlantic and Pacific salmon related to each other, and how do their lifecycles differ? As their names suggest, Atlantic salmon are originally from the Atlantic Ocean, while Pacific Salmon are from the Pacific Ocean.

Do oystercatchers only eat oysters?

Do oystercatchers only eat oysters? The main diet of the oystercatcher seldom involves oysters in the UK! They predominantly eat bivalves, including cockles and mussels. Given their reliance on shellfish, it is thought that in the past local declines may have been linked to the shellfish industry reducing the amount of available prey.

What happened to the oystercatcher?

A further species of oystercatcher became extinct in the 20th century. The Wildlife Trusts are working with fishermen, researchers, politicians and local people towards a Living Seas vision, where coastal and marine wildlife thrives alongside the sustainable use of the ocean’s resources.

Why birding in South Africa?

Thanks to the abundance of excellent South African hotels and accommodation facilities, as well as an established transport infrastructure (including international car hire companies), South Africa is proving to be one of the world’s top birding hotspots.

How many species of birds can you see in South Africa?

Of the 15 species that call southern Africa home, I was able to see 12. Ranging in size from the massive African Olive-Pigeon to the tiny Emerald Spotted Wood-Dove, they are all beautiful and at least one species can be found in every habitat you could encounter in South Africa. Below are a few photos I took of some of these beautiful birds.

Is there a temperature gradient between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean?

Think of the temperature difference between the community kiddie pool and the diving pool. There is definitely a temperature gradient in the atlantic as well but it occurs much further off shore which is why fishing boats operate further from the Atlantic ports than the pacific.

What is The Antlantic ocean like?

The Antlantic is essentially a smaller Pacific. However most of the currents tend to lead you towards the Carribean – which is very prone to hurricanes compared to most areas of the oceans. Pirates. Not the Blackbeard type of course, but So

What is the difference between Salmo and Oncorhynchus?

The genus Salmo contains the Atlantic salmon, found in the North Atlantic, as well as many species commonly named trout. The genus Oncorhynchus contains eight species which occur naturally only in the North Pacific. As a group, these are known as Pacific salmon. Chinook salmon have been introduced in New Zealand and Patagonia.

What is the difference between Atlantic and Pacific salmon?

Atlantic salmon are more closely related to certain species of trout, such as brown trout (Salmo trutta), than they are to Pacific salmon. There is only one species of Atlantic salmon, and members of this species are silvery with large, black spots on their gill covers and back.

Are trout and salmon in the same family?

all other Oncorhynchus and Salmo species. Salmon /ˈsæmən/ is the common name for several species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. Other fish in the same family include trout, char, grayling and whitefish. Salmon are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus Salmo) and Pacific Ocean (genus Oncorhynchus).

What type of vertebrate is a salmon?

The Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar) and the seven species of Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus) are members of one of the most primitive superorders of the teleosts, namely the Protacanthopterygii. The family Salmonidae includes the Atlantic and Pacific salmon, the trout ( Salmo spp.), the charr ( Salvelinus spp.) and huchen ( Hucho spp.).

How have oystercatchers changed over the years?

Breeding Oystercatchers have undergone dramatic changes in the last twenty years. There were only 25 tetrads where Oystercatchers were present in the breeding season during our First Atlas and this Atlas, with 116 newly occupied and the species lost from 22.

What is African BirdLife magazine?

African Birdlife is a bi-monthly magazine and includes well-written articles and stunning photographs of our continent’s birds. It is an important mouthpiece for BirdLife South Africa to create awareness about bird research and conservation work.

Where can you see Endangered birds in South Africa?

The grasslands and wetlands of South Africa are prime areas for bird watchers to catch a glimpse of some endangered bird species like the Blue Crane and the African Black Oystercatcher.

How many species of birds live in South Africa?

A remarkable 870 bird species are found in South Africa, representing approximately eight percent of the world’s bird species. Eighteen species are fully endemic and thirty-one are near-endemic to South Africa, i.e. they do not occur naturally anywhere else in the world.

Why visit South Africa for birding?

South Africa has an established avi-tourism industry that invites birding enthusiasts from all over the world to indulge in top-class bird-watching. The grasslands and wetlands of South Africa are prime areas for bird watchers to catch a glimpse of some endangered bird species like the Blue Crane and the African Black Oystercatcher.