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Chatham Oystercatcher

A species of Oystercatchers
Scientific name : Haematopus chathamensis Genus : Oystercatchers

Chatham Oystercatcher, A species of Oystercatchers
Botanical name: Haematopus chathamensis
Genus: Oystercatchers
Chatham Oystercatcher (Haematopus chathamensis) Photo By Lars Petersson

Description

The Chatham oystercatcher has distinctive black and white plumage and a long, thick orange-red beak. The head, neck, breast, back, wings and tail are black. The lower underparts are white with an unclear demarcation on the breast. The irises are yellow and the eyes have orange orbital rings. The short, thick legs are pink. Adults are about 48 centimetres (19 in) in length.
Size
49 cm
Nest Placement
Ground
Feeding Habits
Chatham Oystercatcher preys primarily on intertidal marine invertebrates, including anemones, polyplacophorans, gastropods, bivalves, and barnacles. Chatham Oystercatcher utilizes diverse tactics like hammering and prising, favoring rocky shores for foraging with unusual adaptability in prey selection.
Habitat
The chatham Oystercatcher's habitat primarily comprises rocky shorelines, though it can also inhabit sandy or gravel beaches. Generally, these areas contain a mix of bare ground and sparse short vegetation where the chatham Oystercatcher can nest. Over time, the bird has adapted to successfully breed not just on volcanic rock platforms but on sandy beaches as well.
Dite type
Aquatic invertebrate eater

General Info

Feeding Habits

Bird food type

Behavior

The Chatham oystercatcher feeds on molluscs and marine worms, digging them out of the sand with its beak and hammering the shells to open them. They prefer foraging on coastline to lagoon shoreline, foraging mostly on intertidal rock platforms and sandy beaches (though some birds preferred pasture). The nest is built on the beach on sandy or rocky shores and consists of a simple scrape. Sometimes it is built among low vegetation and may be rather more elaborate. Two or three eggs are usually laid. Young birds left their birth territory about 33 days after fledging. Juvenile birds become mature at about three years of age, and the lifespan is about eight years. The success rate of each pair averages 0.44 fledglings per breeding season, with flooding the main cause of egg loss.

Distribution Area

The Chatham oystercatcher is only found on the Chatham Islands, an archipelago about 680 kilometres (420 mi) south east of New Zealand. Each of the four main islands has small breeding populations.

Species Status

In the late 1980s, the total population was less than 110 birds, and was feared to be declining. By 2006 the total population on the four Chatham Islands was estimated to be 310 to 360 individuals of which fewer than 250 were mature individuals. The population is believed to be stable; the IUCN rates the Chatham oystercatcher as "Endangered", and the Department of Conservation as "Nationally Critical". The main threats faced by this bird are predation, particularly by feral cats on eggs and chicks, and the cattle and sheep which roam onto the beaches and may trample the nests. The flightless weka (Gallirallus australis) is also a nest predator.
Chatham Oystercatcher (Haematopus chathamensis) Chatham Oystercatcher (Haematopus chathamensis) Photo By Lars Petersson

Scientific Classification

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