South American oystercatcher

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South American oystercatcher
Blackish Oystercatcher - Chile (15375947588) .jpg

South American oystercatcher ( Haematopus ater )

Systematics
Order : Plover-like (Charadriiformes)
Family : Oystercatcher (Haematopodidae)
Genre : Oystercatcher ( Haematopus )
Type : South American oystercatcher
Scientific name
Haematopus ater
Vieillot , 1825

The South American oystercatcher ( Haematopus ater ) is a species of bird from the monotypical family of oystercatchers that is native to South America.

Appearance

The South American oystercatcher reaches a body length of 43 to 45.5 centimeters. The wing length is 26.2 to 28.2 centimeters. The weight varies between 585 and 708 grams. There is no noticeable gender dimorphism, but females tend to be slightly larger than males. They can be recognized by their slightly longer beaks.

The plumage of the South American oyster fisherman is completely dark. In adult birds, the head, neck, neck and underside of the body are sooty black, while the upper side of the body, the wings and the tail are slightly brownish. Non-breeding females occasionally have individual feathers on their belly that are lined with white. Due to its dark plumage, this species is inconspicuous compared to the black-and-white feathered oyster fishermen when looking for food between stranded seaweed .

The beak is long and strong. It is orange-red in color and brightens a little towards the end of its beak. The feet and legs are pale pink, the eye ring is orange-red, the iris is bright orange-yellow. Fledglings have a slightly dull upper body. The eye ring and the iris are initially brownish in young birds.

The range of the South American oyster fisherman partially overlaps with that of the Tierra del Fuego oyster fisherman . However, this one has a white underside of the body, so that these two types can be easily distinguished.

Distribution area

South American oystercatchers are common on rocky coasts and beaches from northwestern Peru , Chile and from southern Argentina to Tierra del Fuego . They also breed in the Falkland Islands . They are largely resident birds; however, part of the population moves to northeast Argentina in the winter months and has also been observed in Uruguay .

Way of life

South American oystercatchers eat mussels and snails, which they open with their beak in the manner typical for oystercatchers. The reproductive biology of the South American oystercatcher has not yet been very well studied. In the Falkland Islands, they breed later than the Tierra del Fuego oystercatchers. Egg-laying begins towards the end of October. The nest is a simple hollow on sand or between rocks and is often near the high water mark. The clutch consists of one or two eggs. The skin color is brownish-purple with small yellow spots. No data are available on the length of the breeding and nestling periods.

Etymology and history of research

The first description of the South American oystercatcher was made in 1825 by Louis Pierre Vieillot under the scientific name Haematopus ater . The publication history and authorship are complicated and so Oudart can occasionally be found as additional authors in the literature. Carl von Linné introduced the genus Haematopus as early as 1758 . This word is derived from the Greek "haima, haimatos αἱμα, αἱματος " for "blood" and "pous, podos πους, ποδος " for "foot". The species name "ater" is the Latin word for "black, dark".

supporting documents

literature

  • Hadoram Shirihai: A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife - The Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and Southern Ocean. Alula Press, Degerby 2002, ISBN 951-98947-0-5 .

Single receipts

  1. ↑ a b Hadoram Shirihai: A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife - The Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and Southern Ocean. Alula Press, Degerby 2002, p. 256.
  2. ^ Louis Pierre Vieillot, Paul Louis Oudart: La Galerie des Oiseaux . tape 2 . Carpentier-Méricourt, Paris 1825, p. 88, plate 230 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).
  3. ↑ Alain Lebossé, Edward Clive Dickinson: Fresh information relevant to the make-up of the livraisons of the "Galerie des Oiseaux" by Vieillot (1748-1831) & Oudart (1796-1860) . In: Zoological Bibliography . tape 3 , no. 2 , October 31, 2014, p. 25–58 ( avespress.com [PDF; 12.3 MB ]).
  4. ^ Carl von Linné: Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, Cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis . 10th edition. tape 1 . Imprensis Direct Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm 1758 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).
  5. ^ A b James A. Jobling: Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm, London 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4 .

Web links

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