Aggregations of African Black Oystercatchers in remote coastal areas of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa

Louise Geldenhuys

doi:10.15641/bo.v9i0.572

Abstract

Counts of African Black Oystercatchers along the Northern Cape Coastline, excluding the Namaqua National Park, were conducted during August and November of 2015, 2016 and 2017. An average of 387 oystercatchers were counted in this area. The area between Port Nolloth and Kleinsee accounted for 46 % of oystercatchers counted, and this relatively undisturbed and remote area could be an important site for the conservation of oystercatchers in South Africa.

Highlights

The African Black Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini is endemic to southern Africa, and breeds in the narrow coastal zone and on the offshore islands from southern Namibia to southern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Hockey et al 2003, Underhill 2014)
African Black Oystercatchers feed during low tide, and aggregate at specific roost sites during high tides (Figure 1)
This paper presents more recent (2015-2017) observations of aggregations of African Black Oystercatchers in the Northern Cape Province

Summary

BIODIVERSITY OBSERVATIONS

Aggregations of African Black Oystercatchers in remote coastal areas of the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Biodiversity Observations is an open access electronic journal published by the Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town, available at https://journals.uct.ac.za/index.php/BO/. The scope of Biodiversity Observations includes papers describing observations about biodiversity in general, including animals, plants, algae and fungi. This includes observations of behaviour, breeding and flowering patterns, distributions and range extensions, foraging, food, movement, measurements, habitat and colouration/plumage variations. Biotic interactions such as pollination, fruit dispersal, herbivory and predation fall within the scope, as well as the use of indigenous and exotic species by humans.

Introduction

Findings

Aggregation areas