14 years old!

The ORCA research team comprising of Chanel Hauvette, manager of the ORCA foundation, and Derek Aoki, a volunteer with ORCA from Los Angeles joined me to try and catch one of the adults incubating the last African Black Oystercatcher nest of the season. The disturbance trial went well and the trap was placed over the nest. The three of us beat a hasty retreat to sit on a washed-up log some distance away and discreetly watch the bird. It was a brave bird determined to protect her eggs and it didn’t take long before she was walking around the trap looking for the entrance. Soon the three of us were dashing over the sand to gather the agitated bird before she found the entrance of the trap. To my pleasure we had caught the adult which already had a ring on, this allowed me to explain to Derek the importance of what we were doing. We put a colour ring on the bird, and took all the usual measurements. Work done, Derek handled his first South African bird and released the oystercatcher. As soon as I got home I checked on the ring. The bird was ringed as a chick on 13 March 2000. The oystercatcher was 14 years old! A very exciting recapture for me! African Black Oystercatchers are able to live at least to 29 years old, so this bird has made good its survival thus far! It will be exciting to monitor this bird further, made easier by the yellow and black colour ring on its leg.

Derek releasing the bird after ringing.

The bird sporting its new colour ring.