Sooty Oystercatcher

Haematopus fuliginosus

Bird Life Endemic IUCN: Least Concern

About

It is a wading bird and commonly found around the coastline. It prefers rocky coastlines, but will occasionally live in estuaries. All of its feathers are black. It has a red eye, eye ring and bill, and pink legs. Immature birds have grey-brown legs, a bill tipped with brown, a browner cast to their plumage,and brown eyes. The bill, eyes and legs become red by the second year.

Size

42 to 52 cm long

Habitat

Preferring rocky shores, the sooty oystercatcher

Distribution

Endemic to Australia. It is common around the Tasmanian coastline and Bass Strait islands. However it is declared Rare in South Australia and Queensland, Near Threatened in Victoria and Endangered in New South Wales

Local Sightings

1 recorded sighting in and around the area.

References & citations (2)
  1. BirdLife International (2020) Species factsheet: Haematopus fuliginosus (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)
  2. The Atlas of Living Australia (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)

Header image: CC BY-SA 4.0 © wildroo

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