Variable oystercatcher / tōrea-pango: Birds Image Stock https://www.birdsimagestock.com/p629083788 Endemic to New Zealand, the variable oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor) is named due to its inconsistent feather colour (plumage). Unlike other species, individuals can be completely black, black-and-white (pied), or a blotchy mixture in between. Early naturalists hought these different colour phases belonged to entirely separate species, but as they freely interbreed and belong to a single species, the descriptor "variable" was adopted. Known as tōrea-pango in Māori, their feather colour depends heavily on latitude. Northern birds are more likely to have white patches (pied or mottled), while 100% of the variable oystercatchers on Stewart Island in the far south are completely black. en-us (C) BirdsImageStock birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) Tue, 10 Nov 2026 17:48:56 GMT Tue, 10 Nov 2026 17:53:22 GMT Birds Animals https://www.birdsimagestock.com/img/s/v-10/p1785140352-10.jpg Variable oystercatcher / tōrea-pango: Birds Image Stock https://www.birdsimagestock.com/p629083788 120 120 Variable oystercatcher / tōrea-pango https://www.birdsimagestock.com/p629083788/e6A671480

]]>Variable oystercatcher, Kaikoura, New Zealand.

]]> birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) Birds Animals Variable oystercatcher / tōrea-pango https://www.birdsimagestock.com/p629083788/e6A671480 Tue, 10 Nov 2026 17:51:25 GMT Variable oystercatcher / tōrea-pango https://www.birdsimagestock.com/p629083788/e61AB123F

]]>Variable oystercatcher, Kaikoura, New Zealand.

]]> birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) Birds Animals Variable oystercatcher / tōrea-pango https://www.birdsimagestock.com/p629083788/e61AB123F Tue, 10 Nov 2026 17:51:30 GMT Variable oystercatcher / tōrea-pango https://www.birdsimagestock.com/p629083788/e632C3119

]]>Variable oystercatcher, Kaikoura, New Zealand – with red billed gull and black billed gull.

]]> birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) Birds Animals Variable oystercatcher / tōrea-pango https://www.birdsimagestock.com/p629083788/e632C3119 Tue, 10 Nov 2026 17:51:32 GMT Variable oystercatcher / tōrea-pango https://www.birdsimagestock.com/p629083788/e69B01665

]]>Variable oystercatcher, Kaikoura, New Zealand.

]]> birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) Birds Animals Variable oystercatcher / tōrea-pango https://www.birdsimagestock.com/p629083788/e69B01665 Tue, 10 Nov 2026 17:51:25 GMT Variable oystercatcher / tōrea-pango https://www.birdsimagestock.com/p629083788/e6CE0105E

]]>Variable oystercatcher, Kaikoura, New Zealand.

]]> birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) Birds Animals Variable oystercatcher / tōrea-pango https://www.birdsimagestock.com/p629083788/e6CE0105E Tue, 10 Nov 2026 17:51:21 GMT