Derivation of scientific name

In 1856, Bonaparte described the African Black Oystercatcher as a species for the first time. He named the species ‘moquini’ after Horace Benedict Alfred Moquin Tandon. The genus name, Haematopus, means legs and feet red like blood.

Description

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 coloration. The female is bigger than the male. Males have shorter blunt bills than the female.

Chicks are well camouflaged with grey plumage and black stripes behind the eyes and along the crown. Juveniles have duller plumage.

Conservation status and what the future holds

The global population of the African Black Oystercatcher has increased by about 33% since 1980 (5 000) to early 2000 (6 670). Due to the small population size of less than 10 000 individuals, the IUCN and South Africa regard the African Black Oystercatcher as ‘Near Threatened’.

The increased or stable population is due to improved management plans that were put in place to protect these birds as well the additional food source in the form of the alien Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) that lead to an increase in breeding success. Reduced human disturbance and the near eradication of predator populations on islands played a huge role in increasing the birds’ population on islands.

The Oystercatcher Conservation Programme (OCP) was established in 1998 to increase the conservation of this species, raise public awareness and get local communities involved in the conservation of these birds. In 2000, a national ban of recreational vehicles along the beaches of South Africa was put in place. This ban reduced the level of disturbance along South Africa’s coasts, thus increasing the bird’s breeding success and population along the coastal areas.

About 80% of the mainland population of African Black Oystercatchers in South Africa are found outside protected areas. Mainland populations outside South Africa’s protected areas are lower than populations inside protected areas. Human-related activities in non-protected areas lower breeding success of the birds. 

Threats to African Black Oystercatcher populations include human disturbances (recreational cars on beaches and introducing predators) at the breeding sites, degradation and destruction of roost and breeding areas through infrastructure developments, coastal diamond mining, pollution, sedimentation of lagoons, paralytic shellfish poisoning and spring high tides (flooding of nests causing egg loss). Other threats to the population are introduced terrestrial predators and diseases (avian cholera) at breeding islands. Avifauna Specialist – (Rowan van Tonder)