Eurasian Oystercatcher

(Haematopus ostralegus)

Category of conservation concern (IUCN, 2020) – Near threatened

Population size: 2020: 39 -94 pairs (2007: 30-50 pairs)

Distribution pattern

The breeding sites are in four isolated areas: on islands in the middle and lower currents of the Maritsa River, in the Burgas Wetlands, in the Varna – Beloslav Lake Complex, and the Tzibar Island on the Danube River.

Population estimation for the period 2013 – 2020: The number of breeding pairs varies through the years. Breeds on sandy and gravel river islands along the Maritsa and Danube Rivers. The fluctuations in the number of breeding pairs are due to flooding of the islands at high waters. Along the Black Sea coast the species breeds in saline terrains with halophytic vegetation, on dikes in saltpans.

Population size in Special Protection Areas of Natura 2000: 24-51 pairs (56% of the population). The highest numbers have been registered in the SPAs Pomorie Lake (5-6 pairs), Bakarlaka (3-4 pairs), and Maritsa-Parvomay (2-8 pairs).

Comparative distribution of the species compared to the first breeding birds atlas (Iankov, 2007): Breeding locality until 2007 | Breeding locality until 2007, confirmed after 2015 – | New breeding locality after 2015. – The breeding localities after 2015 are identified on a base of raw data from smartbirds.org.

Habitats

Breeds along Maritsa and Danube rivers on sandy and gravel river islands in running waters, and along the Black Sea coast – on saline terrains with halophytic vegetation on the banks of hypersaline lagoons, on dikes in saltpans or near standing brackish waters, at some places – possibly to standing fresh waters as well.

Trends in population changes for the period 2013-2020

Threats

Drainage of wetlands, poaching, sand quarries along rivers, disturbance by anglers and tourists during the breeding season. 

Mikhail Iliev, Vladimir Mladenov