Chatham Islands oystercatcher
The Chatham Islands oystercatcher or tōrea tai, formerly known as the Chatham oystercatcher, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird endemic to the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. This species is rated by the IUCN as endangered, and has a current population of 310 to 325 birds. The main threat is from introduced predators.
Description
The Chatham Islands oystercatcher has distinctive black and white plumage and a long, thick orange-red beak. The head, neck, breast, back, wings and tail are black. The lower underparts are white with an unclear demarcation on the breast. The irises are red and the eyes have orange orbital rings. The short, thick legs are pink. Adults are about in length.Distribution
The Chatham Islands oystercatcher is only found on the Chatham Islands, an archipelago about south east of New Zealand. Each of the four main islands has small breeding populations.Behaviour
The Chatham Islands oystercatcher feeds on molluscs and marine worms, digging them out of the sand with its beak and hammering the shells to open them. They prefer foraging on coastline to lagoon shoreline, foraging mostly on intertidal rock platforms and sandy beaches.The nest is built on the beach on sandy or rocky shores and consists of a simple scrape. Sometimes it is built among low vegetation and may be rather more elaborate. Two or three eggs are usually laid. Young birds left their birth territory about 33 days after fledging. Juvenile birds become mature at about three years of age, and the lifespan is about eight years. The success rate of each pair averages 0.44 fledglings per breeding season, with flooding the main cause of egg loss.