THE African black oystercatcher is a near – endemic, locally common resident with its numbers being only about 5 000 birds and found along the coast from Namibia to Northern KZN.
They like rocky and sandy coastal shores, less often coastal vleis and lagoons where they feed on mussels, limpets, whelks, periwinkles, sea anemones and cucumbers.
These oystercatchers are found in pairs or small groups, foraging along the waterline, probing in sand and rock crevices, prising molluscs from rocks or picking food from the surface. They rest in flocks on beaches or rocks at high tide.
They fly with quick shallow wingbeats often calling with a loud piping voice klee – weep, klee – weep and have a kik – kik – kik alarm call.
Breeding takes place from October to March. The nest is a scrape in the sand on an exposed beach or rocky area or sometimes among stones. Between seven and two greenish or buffy stone colour eggs are laid.
Eighty per cent being two at a time with a two – day interval between. The incubation can be from 27 to 39 days and a fledging period of 40 days.
There are no tribal names and in Afrikaans die swarttobie.
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