The behaviour of African Black Oystercatchers after egg-loss

This footage describes the behaviour of African Black Oystercatchers post egg-loss on Robben Island, South Africa. The behaviour of returning to and even incubating empty nests after nest failure may be common among birds but it is rarely documented or reported in the literature. Yet, this behaviour is important when determining the fate and status of avian nests. This record is associated with a short behavioural note submitted to Wader Study for publication. This footage, together with the published paper, provide evidence to show that birds return to and may even incubate their empty nests after nest failure.