Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Shorebirds

Sooty Oystercatcher

Haematopus fuliginosus

Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of South Australia Birds of Tasmania Birds of Victoria Birds of Western Australia

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The Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) is a member of the Haematopodidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 819 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Haematopodidae Oystercatchers
Genus Haematopus
Species fuliginosus

Where it lives

Coastal Australia and Tasmania

Australia & Oceania

Quick facts

Weight: 819 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Haematopodidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Sooty Oystercatcher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of coastal habitats, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Sooty Oystercatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) belongs to the Haematopodidae family of the order Charadriiformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU coastal Australia and Tasmania.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 819 g, with a wing length of about 28.3 cm and a tail of around 11.8 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 812,000 km².

Songs & calls

Sooty Oystercatcher — Call

Recorded by Peter Boesman Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Sooty Oystercatcher?

The Sooty Oystercatcher is a large bird that weighs around 819 g.

Where does the Sooty Oystercatcher live?

The Sooty Oystercatcher is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU coastal Australia and Tasmania, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Sooty Oystercatcher belong to?

The Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) belongs to the Haematopodidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Sooty Oystercatcher eat?

The Sooty Oystercatcher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Sooty Oystercatcher migrate?

The Sooty Oystercatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Sooty Oystercatcher endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Sooty Oystercatcher make?

1 real field recording of the Sooty Oystercatcher — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Sooty Oystercatcher's range?

The Sooty Oystercatcher has a mapped global range of about 812,000 km².