Black Oystercatchers Off Cannery Point

Often in pairs or small groups, black oystercatchers call attention to themselves with their brilliant long orange bill and pale legs along with its dark plumage and piercing bright eyes. This shorebird is often heard before it is seen with its loud whistling call. Point Lobos is home to number of black oystercatcher couples who are year-round residents, building their nests, laying eggs, and raising their young. Food supply in the form of mollusks, like mussels and limpets, is abundant here at the Reserve, along with suitable places for nesting, like offshore rocks. Despite all this, survival is still a struggle, so it is a wonderful sight to see these boisterous birds in their natural habitat!