Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus)
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Sooty Oystercatcher

Haematopus fuliginosus Gould, 1845

819 gWeight

The sooty oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) is a species of oystercatcher.

Busiest months: February–March · Most records: Australia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Sooty Oystercatcher has been recorded at 41 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Long Reef Aquatic ReserveAustralia1,307 records
  2. Jawbone Flora and Fauna ReserveAustralia375 records
  3. Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic TripAustralia323 records
More places
  1. Stockyard PointAustralia257 records
  2. Western Treatment PlantAustralia243 records
  3. Ricketts PointAustralia240 records
  4. Kakadu BeachAustralia161 records
  5. Hunter Wetlands National Park – Stockton SandspitAustralia110 records
  6. Toorbul High Tide RoostAustralia106 records
  7. Buffalo CreekAustralia96 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The sooty oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird endemic to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. It prefers rocky coastlines, but will occasionally live in estuaries.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Sooty Oystercatcher?

The Sooty Oystercatcher weighs around 819 g.

Where does the Sooty Oystercatcher live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: coastal Australia and Tasmania. It is most often recorded in Australia.

When is the best time to see the Sooty Oystercatcher?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February and March (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Sooty Oystercatcher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Sooty Oystercatcher as Least Concern.

What does the Sooty Oystercatcher eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Sooty Oystercatcher in?

It belongs to the family Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Weight
819 g
Habitat
Coast & tidal flats
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
283 mm
Tail
118 mm
Bill
81 mm
Tarsus
52 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: coastal Australia and Tasmania

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Oystercatchers Haematopodidae
Genus
Haematopus

Other birds in the genus Haematopus

Magellanic OystercatcherMagellanic OystercatcherHaematopus leucopodusBlackish OystercatcherBlackish OystercatcherHaematopus aterBlack OystercatcherBlack OystercatcherHaematopus bachmaniAmerican OystercatcherAmerican OystercatcherHaematopus palliatusAfrican OystercatcherAfrican OystercatcherHaematopus moquiniEurasian OystercatcherEurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusSouth Island OystercatcherSouth Island OystercatcherHaematopus finschiPied OystercatcherPied OystercatcherHaematopus longirostrisVariable OystercatcherVariable OystercatcherHaematopus unicolorChatham Islands OystercatcherChatham Islands OystercatcherHaematopus chathamensis
Sooty Oystercatcher

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Adam Fry. ↗

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