Data Zone
Taxonomic source(s)
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Least Concern | |
| 2017 | Least Concern | |
| 2016 | Near Threatened | C1 |
| 2012 | Near Threatened | C1 |
| 2008 | Near Threatened | C1 |
| 2006 | Near Threatened | |
| 2004 | Near Threatened | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Near Threatened | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Near Threatened | |
| 1988 | Near Threatened |
| Migratory status | not a migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type |
continent shelf island |
Average mass | 692 g |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 705,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 1,840,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 4450 mature individuals | medium | estimated | 2014 |
| Population trend | increasing | - | estimated | - |
| Generation length | 13.4 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: Population genetics suggest that there has been a low historical population size (Bray and Hockey 2015). Based on data from shoreline counts and aerial surveys, the population is now estimated at 6,670 individuals (Underhill 2014), roughly equivalent to 4,450 mature individuals.
Trend justification: The population is thought to be increasing thanks to improved habitat management on near-shore islands, with a c.45% increase between 1979/1980 and the early 2000s (Underhill 2014, Loewenthal et al. 2015). There have been some local declines, but it appears possible that in a large number of cases these declines may be a result of individuals moving to adjacent habitats after a site has experienced some degradation (in 72% of cases where a site showed a decline, the adjacent areas showed a population increase) (Loewenthal et al. 2015). Analysis of data from the South African Bird Atlas Project 1 and 2 show an increase in range size and reporting rates for this species (Brown et al. 2019).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mozambique | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Namibia | extant | native | yes | |||
| South Africa | extant | native | yes |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|---|
| Namibia | Lüderitz Bay islands |
| Namibia | Mercury Island |
| Namibia | Mile 4 saltworks |
| Namibia | Namib-Naukluft Park |
| Namibia | Possession Island |
| Namibia | Sandwich Harbour |
| Namibia | Sperrgebiet |
| Namibia | Walvis Bay |
| South Africa | Algoa Bay Islands: Addo Elephant National Park |
| South Africa | Dassen Island |
| South Africa | De Hoop Nature Reserve |
| South Africa | Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve |
| South Africa | Dyer Island Nature Reserve |
| South Africa | Maitland - Gamtoos coast |
| South Africa | Rietvlei Wetland: Table Bay Nature Reserve |
| South Africa | Robben Island |
| South Africa | Swartkops Estuary - Redhouse and Chatty Saltpans |
| South Africa | West Coast National Park and Saldanha Bay islands |
| South Africa | Woody Cape Section: Addo Elephant National Park |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | major | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches | major | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | major | resident |
| Altitude | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Unspecified species | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 3 | ||||||
|
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| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic native species/diseases - Larus dominicanus | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Past, Likely to Return | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Past Impact | ||||||
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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/african-oystercatcher-haematopus-moquini on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.