Soot Oystercatcher
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Soot oystercatcher ( Haematopus fuliginosus ) |
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| Gould , 1845 |
The soot oystercatcher ( Haematopus fuliginosus ) belongs to the genus of oystercatchers ( Haematopus ) and to the family of the same name . There are two subspecies.
description
The soot oystercatcher reaches a body length of 40 to 52 centimeters. The wingspan is about one meter. It weighs about 750 grams. The most distinctive features are the long and strong orange-colored beak as well as the yellowish-red eye ring and the reddish iris . The feet have a flesh to slightly pink color. The plumage is uniformly black.
The female can only be distinguished from the male by its longer and slimmer beak. In most areas the black oystercatcher is a resident bird . Seasonal migrations can only occur in southern regions.
Soot oystercatchers form small to medium-sized groups. They also breed in colonies. The soot oystercatcher is considered a good swimmer and diver. But it only dives to a shallow depth and only when it is absolutely necessary. They usually look for their food in shallow water.
Habitat and Distribution
The black oystercatcher is endemic to the coasts of Australia , Tasmania and many surrounding islands. He is an occasional stray visitor on Christmas Island . In most of its range, it is a resident bird that defends its territory all year round.
Its natural habitat is rocky coasts with ample opportunities for nesting. When looking for food, they also seek out sandy beaches, estuary deltas, lagoons, coral reefs and quiet bays. The soot-oystercatcher prefers to breed on the offshore islands because they are safe from nest robbers there.
Subspecies
There are two subspecies:
- Haematopus fuliginosus fuliginosus occurs in Australia and Tasmania.
- Haematopus fuliginosus opthalmicus occurs in Oceania and Australia.
Predators
The natural enemies of the black oyster fisherman and its brood include house cats ( Felis catus ), house dogs ( Canis lupus familaris ), rats ( Rattus ), foxes (Vulpini) and dingoes ( Canis lupus dingo ).
food
The soot oystercatcher feeds mainly on crustaceans (Crustacea) and molluscs (Mollusca) such as mussels (Bivalvia) and snails (Gastropoda). He also does not disdain sea urchins (Echinoidea), starfish (Asteroidea) and smaller fish (Actinopterygii). The prey animals are stabbed in shallow water or in the mud with the long and powerful beak. Even hard-shelled mussels or crustaceans can be opened effortlessly.
Reproduction
The soot oystercatcher becomes sexually mature at around 3 to 4 years of age. The breeding pairs live monogamous . The breeding season lasts from October to April. Simple earth hollows serve as nests in protected areas of cliffs and rocks, which are usually padded with seaweed. The two to three eggs are laid within a day. The clutch is incubated by both the female and the male. The young birds usually hatch after 28 to 30 days and flee the nest . The hatching weight is between 30 and 40 grams. You will be looked after by both parents up to the age of two to three months. Black oystercatchers can live up to 15 years in the wild and over 20 years in captivity.
Hazard and protection
The soot oystercatcher is listed on the IUCN Red List as "not endangered".
literature
- Hans-Heimer Bergmann: The biology of the bird. Auditorium, 1987.
- Bernhard Grzimek: Grzimeks animal life volume 7-9 birds. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Munich 1993.
- PJ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Volume 2, Raptors to Lapwings, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1993, ISBN 0-19-553069-1 .
- Gottfried Mauersberger, Wilhelm Meise: Urania Tierreich, 7 vols., Birds. Urania, Stuttgart 1995.
Web links
- Haematopus fuliginosus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2009. Accessed November 17, 2011th