Pied Oystercatcher Breeding at Mortimer Bay, Tasmania

Abstract

Observations on eight pairs of Pied Oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus longirostris at Mortimer Bay provide information on breeding success and adult survival. The species is long-lived but the low annual adult mortality is offset by low breeding success. Compared with other populations, the Australian race is characterised by a relatively small clutch size, a long incubation period, a long interval between hatching and flying and a very high age at first breeding. I suggest that breeding territories are at a premium, and that many sites are only marginal.