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I was so thrilled to finally see these birds with my own eyes as I had looked for them on previous visits to British Columbia!  I found them way out on the tidal flats of a fairly remote  island which we had visited via zodiak while touring Haida Gwaii.  Black Oystercatchers feed on marine invertebrates found on rocky shores, gravel beaches and mudflats along the seashore. Shorebird biologists estimate the world’s breeding population to be about 10,000 pairs. These are mostly in Alaska, followed by British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California and Baja California. They use their long orange beaks to chisel feed such as snails off rocks and to pry open mussels.  I love their orange ringed  eyes – so bright. There were eight birds in this group.

Enjoy !

~Sharon

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