Blackish Oystercatcher
Encyclopedia
The Blackish Oystercatcher (Haematopus ater) is a species of wader
in the Haematopodidae family.
It is found in Argentina
, Chile
, the Falkland Islands
and Peru
, and is a vagrant to Uruguay
.
The population is estimated at 22,000–120,000.
Description of the Blackish Oystercatcher:
Plumage is blackish with wings and back being rather dark brown, long blood-red bill and white legs. Sexes are similar in appearance.
The Blackish Oystercatcher is easily overlooked on a rocky shore. Its dark colour blends into the rocks upon which it feeds, and it does not draw attention to its presence.
The Blackish oystercatcher's presence, however, can be easily detected by its loud and distinctive warning calls. The song of the Blackish Oystercatcher, when given in duet, consists of an excited chatter of piping whistles. Calls include piping whistles “pip” and “peeeeyeeee”.
Habitat of the Blackish Oystercatcher:
Its natural habitats are rocky shores. The Blackish Oystercatcher feeds in the intertidal zone on rocky shorelines, in tidepools and on pebble beaches. Rarely, it can be found on sandy beaches hunting for mole crabs.
Wader
Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
in the Haematopodidae family.
It is found in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, and is a vagrant to Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
.
The population is estimated at 22,000–120,000.
Description of the Blackish Oystercatcher:
Plumage is blackish with wings and back being rather dark brown, long blood-red bill and white legs. Sexes are similar in appearance.
The Blackish Oystercatcher is easily overlooked on a rocky shore. Its dark colour blends into the rocks upon which it feeds, and it does not draw attention to its presence.
The Blackish oystercatcher's presence, however, can be easily detected by its loud and distinctive warning calls. The song of the Blackish Oystercatcher, when given in duet, consists of an excited chatter of piping whistles. Calls include piping whistles “pip” and “peeeeyeeee”.
Habitat of the Blackish Oystercatcher:
Its natural habitats are rocky shores. The Blackish Oystercatcher feeds in the intertidal zone on rocky shorelines, in tidepools and on pebble beaches. Rarely, it can be found on sandy beaches hunting for mole crabs.