wrder v/naraarnr< 



rurormes 



Oyster-catchers: family Haematopodidae 



Black Oyster-catcher: 



Haematopus bachmani Audubon 



DESCRIPTION. "Adults: Head and neck dull bluish black; rest of plumage brownish 

 black. Young: duller, more brownish." (Bailey) Downy young: "The downy young 

 black oyster catcher is a swarthy little fellow, clothed in short, thick, dark, grizzly 

 down, a color pattern well suited for concealment among the dark rocks where it 

 lives. The down of the upper parts is basally sooty black and very dark gray, but 

 the pale buffy tips give the bird its grizzly appearance. There is an indistinct loral 

 and postocular stripe and two broad, more distinct, parallel stripes down the back 

 of brownish black and two blackish areas on the thighs; between the back stripes 

 and on the rump the buff tips produce a transverse barred effect. The under parts 

 are dull grays, darkest on the throat and breast and lightest on the belly; the sides 

 are faintly mottled or barred." (Bent) Si^e: "Length 17.00-17.50, wing 9.60- 

 10.75, bill 2.. 50-2.. 95, tarsus 1.85-2.. 15." (Bailey) Nest: Usually a hollow in the 

 bare rock, lined with bits of rock and shell. Eggs: i to 4, usually 2. or 3, cream buff 

 to olive buff, covered with spots and scrawls of brown. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds on Aleutian Islands and from Prince William Sound, 

 Alaska, south to Lower California. Winters from southern Alaska to Lower Cali- 

 fornia. In Oregon: Regular but not abundant permanent resident of coast rocks and 

 islands. 



THE BLACK OYSTER-CATCHER was described by Audubon (1838) from birds 

 taken at the mouth of the Columbia River, probably by Townsend. Since 

 that time little has been written about it. It is rapidly decreasing in 

 numbers on the coast, as roads open up and beach resorts are developed, 

 and each year we see fewer of them. Those that remain are wild and 

 difficult to approach, showing a decided inclination to remain on the 

 offshore rocks (Plate 37, B). The flight is strong and direct but rather 

 slow, and the harsh voice will carry through the noisy roar of the surf, 

 even when the latter is so deafening as completely to drown all other 

 bird voices. Prill (1901) found eggs on Otter Rock, Lincoln County, on 

 June 2.9, 1899, and Woodcock (1902.) listed the species from Yaquina Bay. 

 Finley (1902. and 19050!) found it breeding on Three Arch Rocks in both 

 years, and Jewett found a nest on a bare rock there, July 3, 1914. Gabriel- 

 son saw a pair of adults and four partly grown young near Newport, 

 July 4, 19x6, and Braly collected a set of eggs at Otter Rock, June 3, 1932.. 

 We have numerous sight records and specimens from various points be- 

 tween Clatsop and Curry Counties for every month. 



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