The African Black Oystercatcher is a striking black bird, with red beak, orange eye ring and pink legs and is found along the southern African coastline all year round. The common Afrikaans name is the 'Swarttobie'. It is the second rarest coastal bird in this area, the rarest being the Damara Tern.

Dana Bay and Boggomsbaai Conservancies, in the area to the west of Mossel Bay, monitor the breeding success of the oystercatchers annually. The main breeding season extends from November to March, which coincides with the busy visitor season for the Garden Route. The birds breed along the coastline, just above the high-water mark; their nests are often located opposite rich feeding grounds. Breeding pairs are territorial, and are particularly noisy during the breeding season. On sandy beaches, the nests are nothing more than a scrape in the sand. The well camouflaged eggs, approximately the same size as a chicken egg, are incubated for just over a month by both parents.

On the sandy beach stretching between Dana Bay and Boggomsbaai thirteen breeding pairs were recorded during the last season. Of the sixteen eggs laid only 3 birds fledged. This is attributed to a range of environmental and human induced factors.

Despite their name indicating to the contrary, oystercatchers feed mostly on mussels and limpets. The birds are long-lived and some survive for 35 years or more in the wild. Young birds are fed by both parents until after they have fledged. Unfortunately most of the eggs laid are destroyed before they hatch and most hatchlings do not survive to fledge. Natural and human-induced threats face oystercatchers. Natural predators include gulls, genets and mongooses. Threats from man include uncontrolled dogs killing young, and in some cases adult birds, and chicks drowning on incoming tides when a human threat is present.

Members of the public can assist the African black oystercatcher by controlling their dogs on the beach, becoming aware of agitated birds which may be trying to incubate eggs or feed a chick, and reporting sightings of coloured rings on the legs of oystercatchers. The colour combinations of the rings, date, time and location of the sighting as well as activity of the bird(s), are important. Accurate information will be a valuable contribution towards the Oystercatcher Conservation Programme. This Programme is housed at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town.

Sightings can be reported to Douglas Loewenthal

( 021 650 3306, fax 021 650 3295, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).