Birds

Another Bird From Humboldt Bay North Jetty: The Black Oystercatcher

May 8, 2013 by Larry 9 Comments

The Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) can be found along the Pacific Coast of North America from Alaska to Baja California. Click on photos for full sized images.

Black Oystercatcher Range Map

I found these two on the North Jetty at Humboldt Bay foraging and relaxing on the rocky outcroppings.

Black Oystercatchers

They forage on these rocky shores where waves intermittently wash over the mussels causing them to gape more often and therefore giving the Oystercatchers more opportunity to capture them with a quick jab of that orange-red bill.

Black Oystercatchers

They were fun to watch frolicking and stretching out on the rocks.

Black Oystercatcher

Being interested in bird behavior and especially nesting birds, I found the video above really interesting. I hope you did too.

Written by Larry
Larry Jordan was introduced to birding after moving to northern California where he was overwhelmed by the local wildlife, forcing him to buy his first field guide just to be able to identify all the species visiting his yard. Building birdhouses and putting up feeders brought the avian fauna even closer and he was hooked. Larry wanted to share his passion for birds and conservation and hatched The Birder's Report in September of 2007. His recent focus is on bringing the Western Burrowing Owl back to life in California where he also monitors several bluebird trails. He is a BirdLife Species Champion and contributes to several other conservation efforts, being the webmaster for Wintu Audubon Society and the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Urban Bird Foundation. He is now co-founder of a movement to create a new revenue stream for our National Wildlife Refuges with a Wildlife Conservation Pass.