Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani

The Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) is a striking shorebird found along the rocky coastlines of the Pacific Ocean, from Alaska to Baja California. It is easily recognized by its entirely black plumage, long, bright orange-red bill, pale pink legs, and yellow eyes encircled by a red eye-ring.

Key Characteristics:

Size: 15–17 inches (38–44 cm) in length

Wingspan: ~28 inches (71 cm)

Weight: ~1.3 lbs (600 g)

Lifespan: Can live over 15 years in the wild

Habitat and Behavior:

Prefers rocky intertidal zones, where it forages for mussels, limpets, and other shellfish.

Uses its powerful bill to pry open or hammer through shells.

Often seen in pairs or small groups, and pairs are monogamous, defending their territory year-round.

Conservation Status:

Considered a species of concern due to habitat loss, oil spills, and human disturbances.

Population is relatively small but stable, with an estimated 10,000–12,000 individuals worldwide.

The Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of coastal ecosystems, particularly in rocky intertidal zones. Its role includes:

1. Predator Control:

As a specialist feeder, it preys on mussels, limpets, barnacles, and other intertidal invertebrates, helping to regulate their populations.

By consuming dominant species like mussels, it prevents them from overpopulating and outcompeting other organisms, maintaining biodiversity in intertidal habitats.
2. Indicator of Ecosystem Health:

Since it relies on clean, undisturbed coastal environments, its presence (or decline) can signal changes in intertidal ecosystem health.

Sensitivity to oil spills, pollution, and human disturbance makes it a key species for monitoring environmental impacts.
3. Seed Dispersal and Nutrient Cycling:

By breaking apart shellfish and disturbing substrate while foraging, it helps redistribute organic material in the ecosystem.

Waste and leftover prey shells contribute to nutrient cycling, benefiting smaller scavengers and microorganisms.
4. Prey for Predators:

While adults have few natural predators, eggs and chicks are vulnerable to gulls, ravens, raccoons, and foxes, making them a part of the coastal food web.

Black-billed Cuckoo

Black-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus erythropthalmus

• It is a cuckoo.

• She will find other bird's nest and lay her eggs in it.

• They family east of the Rockies along the edge of wooded areas.

• South America is their choice to migrate. 

• This cuckoo will occasionally be a visitor to Europe.

• Their nest can be found in shrubs or in a small tree, even found near the ground.

• These birds wander and feed in trees or shrubs. 

• They mostly eat insects, particularly tent caterpillars, but in addition they like some snails, berries and other birds eggs.

• Their call is a fast continual cuucuucuu

• Adults have a black beak and a tail that is long and brown. 

• The head and the upper parts of its body is brown and the breast underparts are white. 

• The eye has a red ring around it. 

• Youngsters are dull, and the ring around the eye is green.

Red-shouldered Hawk

 Red-shouldered Hawk  Buteo lineatus

• Red-shouldered Hawks will come back to same area every year and usually same nest. Story has it that one lived in a territory every year for 16 years in south California.

• Both male and female will build each nest or freshen up a previous year’s nest.

• The American Crow will often attack this hawk, however payback has been known to happen. They have a rivalry at which they take food from each other and take after each other. And both will team up to chase  a Great Horned Owl out of their area.

• When they reach 5 days old, these nestling hawks are able to shoot their poop out of their nest. If you find the poop on the ground you know that an active nest is around.

• The Red-shouldered Hawk has 5 subspecies. The 4 forms in the eastern USA  reach out to each other, however the western form are over a 1000 miles away. Largest is the northern form. The southern Florida form is the palest, having a gray head.

• They live in bottom land hardwood stands in the eastern USA. Also in  deciduous swamps, and conifer forests.

• They hunt and kill other animals in the forests.  These hawks eat mostly small mammals, amphibians, lizards and snakes.