Western Cape
Goukamma · Table Mountain · Garden Route
Self-driveMalaria-free
Stays in Western CapeWhere to see
Where to see the African Black Oystercatcher in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the African Black Oystercatcher at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park and Tsitsikamma National Park.
Haematopus moquini
Planning a trip
When and where to find the African Black Oystercatcher
Hosts have recorded the African Black Oystercatcher at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park and Tsitsikamma National Park.
Best hours of the day
- The first hours after sunrise, and late afternoon. Birds call and feed most in the cool.
- Midday. Quieter, especially in summer heat.
Where to base yourself
- Western Cape
Eastern Cape
Tsitsikamma
Eastern CapeSelf-driveStays in Eastern Cape
KwaZulu-Natal
iSimangaliso Wetland
KwaZulu-NatalStays in KwaZulu-Natal
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Species
Haematopus moquini
Records
4,317
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the African Black Oystercatcher on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the African Black Oystercatcher in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the African Black Oystercatcher at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park, Tsitsikamma National Park, Garden Route National Park, iSimangaliso Wetland Park and Keurbooms River Nature Reserve and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the African Black Oystercatcher in South Africa?
The African Black Oystercatcher is most recorded in Western Cape (84% of records), Eastern Cape (11% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (5% of records), based on 4,317 iNaturalist observations. 35 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the African Black Oystercatcher on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the African Black Oystercatcher?
The African Black Oystercatcher is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; Table Mountain National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Tsitsikamma National Park: Apr-Sep; Garden Route National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the African Black Oystercatcher?
The African oystercatcher or African black oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini), is a large charismatic wader resident to the mainland coasts and offshore islands of southern Africa. This near-threatened oystercatcher has a population of over 6,000 adults, which breed between November and April.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the African Black Oystercatcher
Every stay on the African Black Oystercatcher page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.
See where to stay