Variable Oystercatcher

Haematopus unicolor, the tōrea pango, is an endemic coastal oystercatcher with highly variable plumage. It differs from South Island pied oystercatcher through its heavier build, coastal residency and forms ranging from all black to pied. All birds have a long orange-red bill, pink legs and red eyes. Plumage may be entirely black, pied, or intermediate with mottled boundaries.

It breeds around coasts of the main islands and many offshore islands. Pairs remain on rocky shores, beaches and estuarine margins year-round. It prises shellfish from rocks and probes sand for worms and crustaceans. Pairs defend breeding territories and place eggs in simple shoreline scrapes.

The checklist classification is Recovering. Kaikōura Peninsula, Otago Peninsula and Tāwharanui Regional Park offer reliable sightings.