Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Canary Islands Oystercatcher

Haematopus meadewaldoi

The Canary Islands oystercatcher, also known as the Canarian oystercatcher or Canarian black oystercatcher (Haematopus meadewaldoi), was a shorebird endemic to the Canary Islands, specifically Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and their offshore islets. This bird, now extinct, was similar in size to its relatives, the African and Eurasian oystercatchers, measuring approximately 40–45 cm in length.

Identification Tips

The Canary Islands oystercatcher bore a striking resemblance to the African oystercatcher, with a glossy black plumage save for potentially whitish underwing bases in fresh plumage. It had a reddish-orange bill, laterally compressed with a blunt, lighter tip, and a narrow naked ring around the red eye. Its legs and feet were dark pink with ivory-colored nails. The bill of the male was about 70–80 mm long, with the female's being slightly longer, and the wings spanned 250–265 mm.

Habitat

This species was likely a bird of the rocky shore rather than sandy beaches, possibly due to human activity driving it from the latter. It tended to avoid humans and was known to feed on small molluscs and crustaceans along the rocky intertidal zones.

Distribution

The Canary Islands oystercatcher was endemic to the eastern Canary Islands and did not breed or stray outside this region in historic times.

Behaviour

The oystercatcher was a resident bird, territorial during the breeding season and more vagrant at other times. It was not known to form large groups. Locals referred to it by various names, including "sea raven" and "limpet-eater," indicative of its diet and coastal habits.

Song & Calls

Its vocalizations included a repeated 'kvirr' or 'kvik-kvikkvik' and an alarm call of 'peepe-peepe peepe-peepe'.

Breeding

The Canary Islands oystercatcher laid its eggs in a scrape on the seaside, often in secluded spots. Courtship involved a unique "dancing" display by males. The species was likely monogamous, with clutch size and egg appearance undocumented but assumed to be camouflaged and possibly dark to match the volcanic rock habitat.

Extinction

The Canary Islands oystercatcher was last collected in 1913 and reported to have disappeared around 1940. It was officially declared extinct in 1994. Over-harvesting of intertidal invertebrates, human disturbance, predation by introduced species, and direct hunting contributed to its decline.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List declared the Canary Islands oystercatcher extinct as of 1950.

In the voice of David Attenborough: "The Canary Islands oystercatcher, a bird that once graced the rocky shores of its namesake archipelago, is a poignant reminder of the fragility of island ecosystems. Its disappearance serves as a stark warning of the consequences of human impact on our planet's remarkable biodiversity."

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

More Oystercatchers

A photo of a Blackish Oystercatcher (Haematopus ater)

Blackish Oystercatcher

Haematopus ater
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
Mike T
Sense of Community
A great app, which is continually being improved. What really comes through is the passion of those behind the app. The sense of community is brilliant, so much help and support provided to new and/or in experienced birders.
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
Foxgirl100
Great app for beginner twitchers
I’ve had a passion of photographing birds for a long time now but have only just gotten into proper birdwatching, and this app is brilliant for those just getting started. There is a great sense of community among users and the app is very easy to use and professional. Awesome app altogether
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.