The Black Oystercatcher

Susan Lambert's endearing photograph of a Black Oystercatcher and chick won our photo contest for the cover of "The Sanderling", our annual report.

Recently Point Lobos Docent Yvonne Wright wrote an article for fellow docents in the Point Lobos Docent Newsletter.  It seemed appropriate to folllow the photograph with an article. Excerpted and adapted below: 

Look at that bird hammering on the rocks with its bright orange-red bill. If you look closely, you’ll notice its eyes are yellow, surrounded by a red eye-ring. It’s a Black Oystercatcher, which might be more appropriate to call a blackish musselcatcher or limpetcatcher.  It is mostly dark brown, and it preys mainly on mussels and limpets. 

Black Oystercatchers literally live on the edge. They rely on a narrow band of rocky intertidal shore to find food and suitable nesting sites. The nest must be high enough to protect eggs and chicks from rising tides and storm waves. Their need for such a slim and specific habitat makes them especially vulnerable to climate change and human disturbance. By protecting this keystone species, we are also protecting the rocky intertidal habitat and the shorelines we love. 

The Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani, is considered a species of conservation concern. Risk factors include --- besides reliance on such a narrow, exposed band of habitat --- its small total population (estimated at 12,000 to 17,000 individuals), scattered from Alaska to Baja. A significant share of the population is in California.