One of the most eye catching things about Black Oystercatchers is their eyes, that’s why I captioned this photo “Eye Catcher”. The bright yellow eye is rimmed with bright orange, with a black pupil in the middle makes their eyes really unique and captivating. I think what makes it stand out even more is that the feathers are black, so it’s a very strong contrast. I particularly like how the bird stands out against the waxy green background in this image.

While it’s hard to tell from this image, all of their eyes have a little spot in their eye in addition to their pupil, which is often called a fleck. While there is no conclusive evidence, research is being done, and DNA evidence has shown that female Black Oystercatchers actually have a darker and more defined flecks then the males do, with males being very faint, on non-existent.

If you are interested in purchasing this image, or any other images on my site, contact Terri Shaddick at [email protected].

Taken: August 17, 2016
Location: Johnstone Strait, British Columbia

Camera: Canon EOS-1D X
Lens: Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4x III Ext
Focal Length: 700mm
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 1600
Exposure: 1/2500