African Oystercatcher
Haematopus moquini
LCLeast Concern
- Family
- Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The African oystercatcher or African black oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini) is a large charismatic wader resident to the mainland coasts and offshore islands of southern Africa. This oystercatcher has a population of over 6,000 adults, which breed between November and April. The scientific name moquini commemorates the French naturalist Alfred Moquin-Tandon who discovered and named this species before Bonaparte.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Coasts of southern Africa (northern Namibia to eastern Cape Province).
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Continents
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: African oystercatcher
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
