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 →
Closest Relatives at Kruger National Park
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Water Thick-knee
Burhinus vermiculatus
African Jacana
Actophilornis africanus
Crowned Lapwing
Vanellus coronatus
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
White-headed Lapwing
Vanellus albiceps
Common Greenshank
Tringa nebularia
African Wattled Lapwing
Vanellus senegallus
Spotted Thick-knee
Burhinus capensis
Senegal Lapwing
Vanellus lugubris
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of African Black Oystercatcher at Kruger National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ 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 |