Scallop | Facts & Information

# Scallop | Facts & Information

Scallop | Discover Fascinating Facts and Information About Scallop

The african black scallop (Haematopus moquini) lives along the African coast from northern Namibia to the Eastern Cape province in South Africa, preferring sandy islands and beaches, but also Rocky estuaries and sometimes coastal lagoons.

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Scallop

Scallop

890

Animals

36

Species

8

Languages

32

Facts

Origin

Large flocks of birds of this species can be found along the coast of South Africa.

Scallop Food

In rocky areas, their preferred food consists of mussels and flat snails, but these coastal birds also feed on sea snails and other bivalves (shells) and crustaceans.

These prey can be difficult, given that their body is protected by a hard shell and it is difficult to reach their tasty flesh.

However, due to their strong beak, African clams can cut the muscles that hold the two halves of the shell together and pierce the prey inside or open the shell by hitting it against rocks with its beak.

Scallop Features

They are large birds with bright black plumage that contrasts sharply with their red eyes, long reddish orange beak and ring around their eyes in the same shade.

The robust legs are a reddish-pink.

Males are distinguished from females by their more blunt and shorter beak, while young specimens have more brown and matte plumage and darker beak tips.

Scallop Breeding

African scallops can lay eggs from October to April, but they will most likely do so from December to February.

One or two eggs are laid in a sand scrape, among shells or sometimes on bare rocks.

The eggs are hatched for 27-39 days, after which they hatch, the young birds being very vulnerable to terrestrial predators.

It is believed that African clams first reproduce at the age of 3-4 years and live for about 18 years.

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Scallop | Facts & InformationScallop | Discover Fascinating Facts and Information About Scallop