European Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Cordats)
ClassAves (Aus)
OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
FamilyHaematopodidae (Oystercatchers)
GenusHaematopus (Oystercatchers)
SpeciesHaematopus ostralegus (European Oystercatcher)

Insufficient data

overall probability at Garden Route National Park

1 Verified records at Garden Route National Park

☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The Eurasian oystercatcher or European oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), also known as the common pied oystercatcher, or (in Europe) just oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It has striking black and white plumage, a long straight orange-red bill, red eyes and relatively short dull pink legs. The sexes are similar in appearance but the bill of the female is longer than that of the male. It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with four subspecies breeding in western Europe, central Eurosiberia, Kamchatka, China, and the western coast of Korea. No other oystercatcher occurs within this area. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Garden Route National Park

Haematopus moquini

20–30% · Possible

Larus dominicanus

50–60% · Likely

Vanellus armatus

30–40% · Possible

Himantopus himantopus

Thalasseus bergii

Tringa nebularia

Numenius phaeopus

Burhinus vermiculatus

5–10% · With luck

Thalasseus sandvicensis

5–10% · With luck

Burhinus capensis

5–10% · With luck

Sterna hirundo

5–10% · With luck

Recurvirostra avosetta

5–10% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

📅 Monthly Probability

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Fewer than 5 records of European Oystercatcher at Garden Route National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Probability
1	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	50–60%
2	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	50–60%
3	Thingvellir National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	50–60%
4	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	30–40%
5	Vatnajokull National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	20–30%
6	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
7	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
8	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
9	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
10	Taroko National Park	🇹🇼 Taiwan	Insufficient data
11	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
12	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	Insufficient data
13	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	Insufficient data
14	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	Insufficient data

← Back to Garden Route National Park

European Oystercatcher

Closest Relatives at Garden Route National Park

African Black Oystercatcher

Dominican Gull

Blacksmith Lapwing

Black-winged Stilt

Crested Tern

Common Greenshank

Whimbrel

Water Thick-knee

Sandwich Tern

Spotted Thick-knee

Common Tern

Pied Avocet

📅 Monthly Probability

☀️ When They're Spotted

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found