Sooty Oystercatcher
Haematopus fuliginosus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyHaematopodidae (Oystercatchers)
- GenusHaematopus (Oystercatchers)
- SpeciesHaematopus fuliginosus (Sooty Oystercatcher)
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. All of its feathers are black. It has a red eye, eye ring and bill, and pink legs. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty Oystercatcher sighting in Maria Island National Park, based on 54 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Maria Island National Park
Pied Oystercatcher
Haematopus longirostris
Silver Gull
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Hooded Plover
Thinornis cucullatus
Pacific Gull
Larus pacificus
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
Masked Lapwing
Vanellus miles
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Banded Lapwing
Vanellus tricolor
Fairy Tern
Sternula nereis
Pacific Golden-Plover
Pluvialis fulva
Latham's Snipe
Gallinago hardwickii
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Sooty Oystercatcher in Maria Island National Park?
About 19% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty Oystercatcher sighting in Maria Island National Park, based on 54 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sooty Oystercatcher in Maria Island National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Sooty Oystercatcher in Maria Island National Park in our monthly data.