Taking Care of the Kids, Black Oystercatcher

Black Oystercatchers are common nesting birds along most of the southern coastal areas of Alaska.

They usually nest on small islands but in some areas, such as Glacier Bay, they may nest along the rocky mainland shores.

The female typically lays one to three eggs.

This nest has three eggs so the "clutch" is complete.

Both sexes incubate. At first mostly female, but male equalizes duty later in incubation period. Eggs are covered 90–98% of time.

Parental feeding of offspring extends well after chicks develop independent flight.

One parent guards or broods chicks while other parent forages.

For more information about Black Oystercatchers look at Andres, Brad A. and Gary A. Falxa. 1995. Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/155