Blackish Oystercatcher vs South Island Oystercatcher

Blackish Oystercatcher

Haematopus ater

Large724 gCoastal

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".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: ignacio_diaz05 · CC BY 4.0

South Island Oystercatcher

Haematopus finschi

Large526 gCoastal

The South Island oystercatcher is easily identifiable as a pied oystercatcher – a large wader with striking black and white plumage, long red-orange bill, and red legs. It is distinguished from the pied morph of the variable oystercatcher by a white lower back, more white on the wing, and a demarcation line of black and white further forward on the breast, and from the pied oystercatcher of Australia by a longer bill and shorter legs, as well as the forward demarcation line of white on the back being pointed rather than square. It is 46 cm in length; its wingspan is 80–86 cm; it weighs 550 g. Voice: It has piping calls, which are used socially and aggressively, as well as a piercing alarm call and a quiet flight call.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Pwhdavey - Paul Davey · CC BY 3.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Blackish Oystercatcher and South Island Oystercatcher.