Variable Oystercatcher (Torea-pango)
Haematopus unicolor

One of two endemic oystercatchers in New Zealand, these birds often appear in much blacker plumage than the South Island Pied Oystercatcher, although in some parts, the plumage can look similar. As with the SIPO, they eat shellfish and other small creatures on the shoreline, using their strong beaks to crack open shells.