Black Oystercatchers & BLOY Program
"BLOY" is an acronym for Black Oystercatcher. The BLOY Monitoring Project is a ten year study , the purpose of which is to assess the Black Oystercatcher as a Federal Species of Concern by monitoring BLOY habitat and reproductive success. Conducted during nesting season, community science volunteers assist in the collection and timely reporting of observational data.
The project is coordinated by Audubon California in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and in conjunction with the US Bureau of Land Management's California Coastal National Monument. The project includes collaboration with the CA State Parks and the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.
The Black Oystercatcher is a striking, charismatic bird with a bright orange beak and distinctive call. Despite its name, this brownish-black bird seldom if ever eats oysters. California's only year-round resident of the rocky intertidal, it can be seen prying limpets, mussels and other sea life from the dynamic Pacific shoreline. A species of high conservation concern due to their small population size and low reproductive success, Black Oystercatchers are highly vulnerable to impacts from a rapidly changing coastal environment. This includes sea level rise, increased storm and king tides, ocean acidification, disturbance from coastal users, and predation from corvids and other predators.
Pairs mate for life and typically defend a breeding territory, which includes an elevated area for nesting, well above the high-tide mark and adjacent to a feeding area such as mussel beds. This can be on gravel, a grassy area or a depression in rock. The nest is a slight scrape, with a sparse lining of pebbles and pieces of shell. If disturbed, adults will take flight with loud, ringing whistles, easily heard above the waves. This leaves the now unattended nest open to predation and damage. During nesting season from March through September, Black Oystercatcher eggs and chicks are especially at risk, as this tends to coincide with an increase in visitors to coastal areas.
All the images in this gallery have been captured along the Northern California coast both prior and during my involvement with BLOY and I am continually adding more, so check back for new additions.
Learn more about this striking bird HERE.
Learn more about BLOY HERE.
Read MoreThe project is coordinated by Audubon California in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and in conjunction with the US Bureau of Land Management's California Coastal National Monument. The project includes collaboration with the CA State Parks and the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.
The Black Oystercatcher is a striking, charismatic bird with a bright orange beak and distinctive call. Despite its name, this brownish-black bird seldom if ever eats oysters. California's only year-round resident of the rocky intertidal, it can be seen prying limpets, mussels and other sea life from the dynamic Pacific shoreline. A species of high conservation concern due to their small population size and low reproductive success, Black Oystercatchers are highly vulnerable to impacts from a rapidly changing coastal environment. This includes sea level rise, increased storm and king tides, ocean acidification, disturbance from coastal users, and predation from corvids and other predators.
Pairs mate for life and typically defend a breeding territory, which includes an elevated area for nesting, well above the high-tide mark and adjacent to a feeding area such as mussel beds. This can be on gravel, a grassy area or a depression in rock. The nest is a slight scrape, with a sparse lining of pebbles and pieces of shell. If disturbed, adults will take flight with loud, ringing whistles, easily heard above the waves. This leaves the now unattended nest open to predation and damage. During nesting season from March through September, Black Oystercatcher eggs and chicks are especially at risk, as this tends to coincide with an increase in visitors to coastal areas.
All the images in this gallery have been captured along the Northern California coast both prior and during my involvement with BLOY and I am continually adding more, so check back for new additions.
Learn more about this striking bird HERE.
Learn more about BLOY HERE.
Juvenile Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)
Carmel, California
AvifaunaBehaviorBirdsBlack OystercatcherCaliforniaCarmelCharadriiformesCoastFeedingForagingHaematopus bachmaniInvertebratesLimpetsMatingMonterey BayMusselsNatureRackRestingSeaweedShorebirdSurfTerritorialTidal ZoneTideVulnerableWavesWildlife
