Species: Haematopus bachmani
Black Oystercatcher
Species
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
A relatively large, all-black shorebird, with a heavy, bright-red bill typical of oystercatchers. Bright yellow iris with orange-red orbital ring in adults; sturdy, pale pink legs. Females have longer, narrower bills and heavier bodies (Andres and Falxa 1995).
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Aves
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Haematopodidae
Genus
Haematopus
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
Huîtrier de Bachman - Ostrero Negro
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Shorebirds
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Charadriiformes - Haematopodidae - Haematopus - were regarded as distinct species by Jehl (1985) and Sibley and Monroe (1990); see DeBenedictis 1990 for contrary view.
Ecology and Life History
A relatively large, all-black shorebird, with a heavy, bright-red bill typical of oystercatchers. Bright yellow iris with orange-red orbital ring in adults; sturdy, pale pink legs. Females have longer, narrower bills and heavier bodies (Andres and Falxa 1995).
Short General Description
A large shorebird.
Migration
true - false - false - In Alaska, flocks that consist of nonbreeders and failed breeders increase in size throughout July and August and depart in September (Andres and Falxa 1995). In British Columbia, flocks build throughout September and October, reaching peak numbers in late October, early November (Campbell et al. 1990). Spring movements probably occur during March; birds reoccupy vacated territories during March and April (Purdy 1985, Andres and Falxa 1995). One individual, banded at Bodega Bay, CA, was sighted 340 km to the north in July, and then returned to banding site in September (Falxa 1992, Andres and Falxa 1995).
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Feeds on mollusks (e.g., pries open mussels and limpets), probes sand for marine worms.
Reproduction Comments
Eggs laid late May-early July (generally early to mid-June) in Alaska, mid-May to late June (generally mid-June) in Washington/Oregon, early May-late June (generally late May) in southern California (L'Hyver and Miller 1991). Clutch size 1-4 (usually 2-3). Incubation 26-27 days, by both sexes. Nestlings precocial but dependent on parental feeding for several weeks (both sexes feed young). Chicks begin to fly at 35+ days. Long-term mate fidelity. See Terres (1980), Groves (1984), Purdy and Miller (1988).
Ecology Comments
Winter flocks seldom range more than 30 miles from nesting sites (Terres 1980), except in northern populations (Andres and Falxa 1995). Obligate users of intertidal zone year-round. Period from hatching until time of first flight is critical life-history stage (Groves 1984).
Length
45
Weight
689
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
2008-01-04
Global Status Last Changed
1996-11-25
Other Status
LC - Least concern
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S4&US.AK=S2&US.CA=S2&US.OR=S3&US.WA=S4" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
GH - 200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles) - GH - Resident along Pacific Coast from Kiska Island, Aleutians, Alaska, south to Baja California, Mexico. Most breed between south-coastal Alaska and coastal British Columbia (Andres and Falxa 1995, Morrison et al. 2001).
Global Range Code
GH
Global Range Description
200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)