African Oystercatcher

Haematopus moquini Bonaparte, 1856

42–45 cmLength692 gWeight

The African oystercatcher or African black oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini) is a large charismatic wader resident to the mainland coasts and offshore islands of southern Africa.

Busiest months: September–November · Most records: South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: September–November · Most records: South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique

African Oystercatcher has been recorded at 29 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Boulders BeachSouth Africa919 records
Stony Point – Penguin ColonySouth Africa905 records
Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa733 records

More places

West Coast NPSouth Africa663 records
West Coast NP – Seeberg hideSouth Africa503 records
West Coast NP – Geelbek hides vicinitySouth Africa364 records
Table Mt. NP – Cape of Good HopeSouth Africa328 records
Table Mt. NP – Cape Point SectionSouth Africa319 records
Rooi-ElsSouth Africa206 records
De Hoop Nature ReserveSouth Africa189 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South Africa Namibia Mozambique

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The African oystercatcher or African black oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini) is a large charismatic wader resident to the mainland coasts and offshore islands of southern Africa. This oystercatcher has a population of over 6,000 adults, which breed between November and April. The scientific name moquini commemorates the French naturalist Alfred Moquin-Tandon who discovered and named this species before Bonaparte.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the African Oystercatcher?

The African Oystercatcher is about 42–45 cm long and weighs around 692 g.

Where does the African Oystercatcher live?

Its breeding range: Africa: coastal northern Namibia to Kwa-Zulu Natal (southern Africa). It is most often recorded in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique.