Blackish Oystercatcher

Haematopus ater

Not Evaluated · IUCN Red List

NENot EvaluatedInvertebratesCoastalScrapeLarge · 724 g

ID tip

The blackish oystercatcher's plumage is slaty-black with wings and back rather dark brown. The long bill is blood-red and the legs are white. The sexes are similar in appearance. The bird is easily overlooked on a rocky shore, its dark colour blending with the rocks on which it walks as it forages, and it does not draw attention to itself. Its presence, however, can easily be detected by its loud and distinctive warning calls. Its song, when given in duet, consists of an excited chatter of piping whistles. Calls include notes that sound like "pip" and "peeeeyeeee".

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Blackish Oystercatcher

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Blackish Oystercatcher

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 6 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in United States.

About the Blackish Oystercatcher

The blackish oystercatcher is a species of wading bird in the oystercatcher family Haematopodidae. It is found in Argentina, Chile, the Falkland Islands and Peru, and is a vagrant to Uruguay. The population is estimated at 15,000–80,000.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Blackish Oystercatcher vs South Island Oystercatcher · African Oystercatcher vs Blackish Oystercatcher · Blackish Oystercatcher vs Magellanic Oystercatcher

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