African Black Oystercatcher
Haematopus moquini
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyHaematopodidae (Oystercatchers)
- GenusHaematopus (Oystercatchers)
- SpeciesHaematopus moquini (African Black Oystercatcher)
The African oystercatcher or African black oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini) is a large charismatic wader resident to the mainland coasts and offshore islands of southern Africa. This oystercatcher has a population of over 6,000 adults, which breed between November and April. The scientific name moquini commemorates the French naturalist Alfred Moquin-Tandon who discovered and named this species before Bonaparte. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a African Black Oystercatcher sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 267 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Namib-Naukluft National Park
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Hartlaub's Gull
Chroicocephalus hartlaubii
Pied Avocet
Recurvirostra avosetta
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpres
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferruginea
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Sanderling
Calidris alba
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Little Stint
Calidris minuta
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 4 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a African Black Oystercatcher in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
About 22% of wildlife watchers report a African Black Oystercatcher sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 267 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see African Black Oystercatcher in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for African Black Oystercatcher in Namib-Naukluft National Park in our monthly data.