Eurasian oystercatcher
In 2018, a genetic study of the Canary Islands oystercatcher's mitogenome found it to be genetically nearly identical to the Eurasian oystercatcher, with its genetic differentiation falling well within the range in variation observed in the Eurasian oystercatcher. It has thus been proposed that "H. meadewaldoi" be reclassified as either a melanistic color morph or subspecies of the Eurasian oystercatcher. Ornithological committees such as the International Ornithological Congress and BirdLife International need to decide whether or not to downgrade the species.