Breeding records for variable oystercatchers (Haematopus unicolor) at Long Bay Regional Park and Okura Estuary, Auckland

摘要

The variable oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor) is an endemic shorebird that nests on sandy beaches, shell banks, and rocky shores around the coasts of New Zealand (Heather & Robertson 1996). The national population has grown steadily from 2000 birds in 1970 to an estimated 6000 birds in 2006 (Bell 2010). This note reports the breeding success of a local population of H. unicolor on the northern fringes of Auckland City at Long Bay Regional Park and an adjacent site on the Okura River.