Haematopus bachmani
Silhouette: terngirl · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The black oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) is a conspicuous black bird found on the shoreline of western North America, ranging from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to the coast of the Baja California peninsula. It is the only representative of the oystercatcher family (Haematopodidae) over most of its range, overlapping slightly with the American oystercatcher (H. palliatus) on the coast of Baja California. Within its range it is most commonly referred to as the black oystercatcher, although this name is also used locally for the blackish oystercatcher and the African oystercatcher. Its scientific name was derived by John James Audubon from that of his friend John Bachman.
Although the species is not considered threatened, its global population is estimated between 8,900–11,000. It is a species of high conservation concern throughout its range (U.S., Canadian, Alaskan, and Northern & Southern Pacific Shorebird Conservation Plans), a keystone indicator species along the north Pacific shoreline, a management indicator species in the Chugach National Forest, and a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service focal species for priority conservation action.
The black oystercatcher... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisbon Oceanarium | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 2 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Woodland Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Oregon Coast Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Alaska SeaLife Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Monterey Bay Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Seattle Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Seattle Marine Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Black Oystercatcher sighting in Kenai Fjords National Park on a given day, based on 236 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 17th most-seen of the 99 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Oystercatcher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Black Oystercatcher sightings, Kenai Fjords National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Canada, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same order: Charadriiformes
The closest relatives of the Black Oystercatcher that you can see in Kenai Fjords National Park (order Charadriiformes, Shorebirds and Allies) are Black-legged Kittiwake (about 70%), Horned Puffin (about 70%) and Glaucous-winged Gull (about 70%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Oystercatcher is recorded against all the birds logged in Kenai Fjords National Park (236 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
