Backyard Zoology: Sooty Oystercatchers
The Sooty Oystercatchers announce their arrival, just as they announce their departure, with a high-pitched call, almost like a squeaky toy being given a series of short, sharp squeezes. I’ve gotten into the habit of not paying a lot of attention...
The Sooty Oystercatchers announce their arrival, just as they announce their departure, with a high-pitched call, almost like a squeaky toy being given a series of short, sharp squeezes.
I’ve gotten into the habit of not paying a lot of attention to these lovely birds even as they make their dramatic entrance. I keep doing what I’m doing, looking down into the rock pools, searching for movement, a tentacle unfurling perhaps, a hermit crab snatching at teeny ocean debris from within its newly acquired shell home.
But today, I let my attention wander over to the Oystercatchers as they forage over the rock shelf, using their long bills to pry limpets and sea snails off their rocky homes before turning to the meat inside.
There are two of them, searching together. I usually see them in pairs and apparently the males and females can be distinguished from one another as the female has a longer and more slender bill. To me though, they look exactly the same and so I give up trying to decipher who is who and just watch them go about their day.
Eventually they make their way onto the sand with a half leap, half flying move, their wings shifting ever so slightly, up and down, before being tucked once again neatly against their bodies. Both birds, their legs strangely pale against the vibrant orange of their beak and their eyes, head straight for the various clumps of Cunjevoi washed up after the huge seas. They poke and prod at the animal, using their feet to turn it over and those long beaks to break in, looking to get to the fleshy goodness inside. There’s a few defensive squirts of water every now and then from the Cunjevoi but that doesn’t stop these birds tucking in. Clearly, it’s a bit of a favourite in their diet.
Sooty Oystercatchers are found along the coast around Australia, usually not more than 50 metres from the water. Watching them flying in and out and making their way confidently along the shoreline, it’s hard to believe that these birds are classed as Vulnerable in NSW. It’s kind of what you’d expect – a combination of human activity that destroys nesting and roosting sites and the proliferation of dogs, foxes, cat and rats where the oystercatchers live. So keep them in mind as you make your way over and around the rocks and shoreline.
Don’t worry, if you don’t see them, you’ll definitely hear them coming in!
