The African black oystercatcher can often be seen in the Cape St Francis area. This is really special, because sadly these birds are in danger of extinction, as their habitat is increasingly being threatened by man.
There are apparently less than 5 000 birds left in the world and it is the only oystercatcher that breeds in Africa.
Oyster catchers mate for life and may live for 35 years. The name is a misnomer, as the birds eat limpets and mussels and not oysters. They do not breed until they are three years old.
5 comments:
A beautiful shot of beautiful birds. It would be tragic to lose them.
Amazing! We have Oyster Catchers here in Alaska too.
I hope they make it and are not extinct like our passenger pigeons who were once to thick that a flock would block out the sun for days until they passed over. The settlers didn't like them because they ate anything with seeds including corn.
I hate to see things be destroyed and it is not their fault. Mankind seems to have a special knack for destroying the planet and everything on it and in most cases it is for the almighty dollar.
I posted a picture of my furry mother for Mother's Day. She was so special we considered her part of our family.
Excellent photo! Their beaks are so long and look like big red tweezers. Thanks so much for sharing -- I have never seen photos of these birds (or heard of them) before and don't think I will ever see them again (except when I peruse your great photos), so this is just wonderful that you were able to capture them!
ptowngirl
HamptonRoadsDailyPhoto.com
Wow! a beautiful shot
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