Blackish Oystercatcher
Haematopus ater
Silhouette: terngirl · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyHaematopodidae (Oystercatchers)
- GenusHaematopus (Oystercatchers)
- SpeciesHaematopus ater (Blackish Oystercatcher)
About the Blackish Oystercatcher
The blackish oystercatcher (Haematopus ater) 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.
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".
The blackish oystercatcher is native to the coasts of Argentina, Chile, the Falkland Islands and Peru, and it is a vagrant to Uruguay. Its natural habitats are rocky shores. It feeds in the intertidal zone on rocky shorelines, in rockpools and on pebble beaches. Rarely, it can be found on sandy beaches hunting for mole crabs... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Blackish Oystercatcher in Tierra del Fuego National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Tierra del Fuego National Park
Magellanic Oystercatcher
Haematopus leucopodus
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Southern Lapwing
Vanellus chilensis
Dolphin Gull
Leucophaeus scoresbii
South American Tern
Sterna hirundinacea
Chilean Skua
Stercorarius chilensis
Brown Skua
Stercorarius antarcticus
Magellanic Snipe
Gallinago magellanica
Brown-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus maculipennis
White-rumped Sandpiper
Calidris fuscicollis
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Baird's Sandpiper
Calidris bairdii
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Paracas National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Blackish Oystercatcher in Tierra del Fuego National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Blackish Oystercatcher sighting in Tierra del Fuego National Park, based on 177 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Blackish Oystercatcher in Tierra del Fuego National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Blackish Oystercatcher in Tierra del Fuego National Park in our monthly data.