African Black Oystercatcher
African Black OystercatcherAfrican Black OystercatcherAfrican Black OystercatcherAfrican Black Oystercatcher

African Black Oystercatcher

Haematopus moquini

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Table Mountain National Park
1,121 Verified records at Table Mountain National Park
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 Table Mountain National Park, based on 1,121 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Table Mountain National Park

Dominican Gull
LC

Dominican Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus dominicanus

40–50% · Likely
Hartlaub's Gull

Hartlaub's Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus hartlaubii

30–40% · Possible
Crested Tern
LC

Crested Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus bergii

20–30% · Possible
Blacksmith Lapwing
LC

Blacksmith Lapwing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vanellus armatus

10–20% · With luck
Common Tern
LC

Common Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna hirundo

5–10% · With luck
Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus sandvicensis

5–10% · With luck
Spotted Thick-knee
LC

Spotted Thick-knee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Burhinus capensis

<5% · Rare
Upland Sandpiper
LC

Upland Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bartramia longicauda

<5% · Rare
Grey-hooded Gull

Grey-hooded Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus

<5% · Rare
Snowy Sheathbill
LC

Snowy Sheathbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chionis albus

<5% · Rare
Greater Painted-Snipe
LC

Greater Painted-Snipe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rostratula benghalensis

Insufficient data
Whimbrel
LC

Whimbrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Numenius phaeopus

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

20–30
Jan
20–30
Feb
20–30
Mar
10–20
Apr
10–20
May
20–30
Jun
20–30
Jul
10–20
Aug
20–30
Sep
20–30
Oct
20–30
Nov
20–30
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

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

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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
20–30%
2 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
20–30%
3 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
20–30%
4 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
5 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
6 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a African Black Oystercatcher in Table Mountain National Park?

About 22% of wildlife watchers report a African Black Oystercatcher sighting in Table Mountain National Park, based on 1,121 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see African Black Oystercatcher in Table Mountain National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for African Black Oystercatcher in Table Mountain National Park in our monthly data.

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