Adult Variable Oystercatcher and Two Chicks Port Waikato New Zealand

In Memoriam Ngaire Hart
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Adult Variable Oystercatcher and Two Chicks Port Waikato New Zealand
Adult Variable Oystercatcher and Two Chicks Port Waikato New Zealand

The Variable Oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor) is a species of wader in the Haematopodidae family. It is endemic to New Zealand. The Maori name is torea-pango. They are also known as 'red bills'.
Variable refers to the frontal plumage, which ranges from pied through mottled to all black. They have pink legs, an orange eye ring and red beaks. They are often seen in pairs on the coast all around New Zealand. During breeding, the pair will defend their territory, sometimes aggressively. Once mated pairs rarely divorce. After breeding they may be seen within flocks, or on the edges of flocks, After breeding they may even form small flocks of their own. They feed on molluscs, crabs and marine worms. After heavy rain, they sometime go inland in search of earthworms. They can open a shellfish by either hammering a hole in it or getting the bill between the two shells (of a bivalve) and twisting them apart. They breed in North Island, South Island, Stewart Island, and Chatham Islands.
Black variant oystercatcher chicks.
They nest on the shore between rocks or on sand dunes by making a scrape out of the sand or shingle, sometimes lined with some seaweed. They usually lay 2-3 eggs but they can lay up to 5. The eggs are typically stone coloured with small brown patches all over. Eggs hatch in 25–32 days. Chicks are well camouflaged by their colour and can fly in about 6 weeks. The bird lives up to about 27 years.

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Taken on: February 7, 2013
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Sets appears in:   • Birds Photographed at Port Waikato New Zealand    • Port Waikato New Zealand - The Place Where I Live   
Groups appears in:   • The Birds of New Zealand   
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, f/10.0, 1/1250 sec, 300mm, ISO 400 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Lens: 70.0-300.0 mm
Aperture: f/10.0
Exposure Time: 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Focal Length: 300mm
ISO: 400
Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode: Auto
White Balance: Manual
Color Space: sRGB
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