The Strandloper Project: A Trek Through the Impact of Climate Change on African Black Oystercatchers

Navigating the southern coastline of the Cape, the Strandloper Project, initiated in 2018 by dedicated environmental steward Dixon, has explored nearly 1,000 kilometers of terrain to understand the impacts of fishing, plastic pollution, and climate change on local bird populations. This citizen science organization has meticulously documented 1,801 bird species, focusing particularly on African black oystercatchers, a species endemic to southern Africa with a known lifespan extending past 29 years.

Through the course of their expeditions, Dixon and his team have identified various factors influencing oystercatcher population densities, which range from one pair per two kilometers to one pair every 135 meters. Predominant influences include the availability of food, the geology, and the intertidal substrate conditions. Mussels, a key food source for these birds, are abundant on Goukamma’s rocky shores, whereas sandy areas like Kleinkrans harbor fewer oystercatchers due to scarcity of prey.

These insights have sprung from meticulously gathered geo-referenced data using the CyberTracker application, recording the birds' distribution, behavior, and age. Dixon, leveraging his experience as a scientific observer in the Antarctic, has connected the dots between climate change and the shifting foraging patterns of oystercatchers, depicting a narrative of their adaptability.

Of particular concern are the sand inundations during the summer, which smother mussel beds on intertidal shelves, blunting the birds' access to their primary food sources. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change underlines this phenomenon, stressing the continued erosion of coastal ecosystems due to rising sea levels and changing climatic factors.

The Strandloper Project has uncovered adaptive behaviors in these birds, including the use of sound to locate prey, suggesting a level of innovative resilience. Yet human activity poses an ongoing threat to their survival. Disturbances by beachgoers and fishermen lead to nest disruption and chick mortality, compounded by climate change impacts on their prey's populations and distribution.

The team is poised to embark on a new series of expeditions to evaluate changes over the last five years, providing a longitudinal assessment of the health and population dynamics of these resilient yet vulnerable shorebirds.