Adults: Black Phase: Totally black. Eyering, red. Eye, red. Bill, red and robust. Legs, stubby and pink. Common south of Taranaki and Gisborne. Pied Phase: Black with lower back, rump, basal half of tail, breast, belly, undertail coverts, underwing, wing bar, white. No white tab at fold of wing. Border between black and white on breast, lower back, and wing bar, smudgy. Eyering, red. Eye, red. Bill, red and robust. Legs, stubby and pink. Plumage variable between the two extremes.
Immatures: Like adult but black parts are browner, bill is dusky red and legs are dull.
Variable Oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor) [XC207654]
by Johnny Rommens from Akaroa, Canterbury, New Zealand (call)
Variable Oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor) [XC405677]
by Romuald Mikusek from Abel Tasman National Park, Tasman, New Zealand (song)
Subspecies
Haematopus unicolor (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Variable Oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor) and Chatham Oystercatcher (Haematopus chathamensis) following Turbott (1990).
No subspecies.
Similar Species
South Island Oystercatcher (Haematopus finschi)
Slightly smaller. Pied phase with adult. Has a white tab at fold. Border between black and white on breast, lower back, and wing bar is sharp. Bill is shorter. Legs and feet are thicker.
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet