VOC
VOCVOCVOCVOC

VOC

Haematopus unicolor

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
70–80% · Very likely
overall probability at Rakiura National Park
1,121 Verified records at Rakiura National Park
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The variable oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor) is a species of wader in the family Haematopodidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. The Māori name is tōrea-pango. They are also known as 'red bills'. Wikipedia →

70–80% of wildlife watchers report a VOC sighting in Rakiura National Park, based on 1,121 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Rakiura National Park

South Island Pied Oystercatcher
LC Endemic

South Island Pied Oystercatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haematopus finschi

10–20% · With luck
Silver Gull
Endemic

Silver Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

80–90% · Very likely
Dominican Gull
LC

Dominican Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus dominicanus

70–80% · Very likely
White-fronted Tern
NT

White-fronted Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna striata

50–60% · Likely
Black-fronted Tern
EN Endemic

Black-fronted Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chlidonias albostriatus

5–10% · With luck
Brown Skua

Brown Skua

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Stercorarius antarcticus

<5% · Rare
Black-billed Gull
Endemic

Black-billed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus bulleri

<5% · Rare
Masked Lapwing
LC

Masked Lapwing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vanellus miles

<5% · Rare
Bar-tailed Godwit
NT

Bar-tailed Godwit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Limosa lapponica

<5% · Rare
Snares Island Snipe
NT Endemic

Snares Island Snipe

Bird

Coenocorypha huegeli

<5% · Rare
Antarctic Tern
LC

Antarctic Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna vittata

Insufficient data
White-headed Stilt

White-headed Stilt

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Himantopus leucocephalus

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

80–90
Jan
70–80
Feb
60–70
Mar
70–80
Apr
70–80
May
70–80
Jun
60–70
Jul
80–90
Aug
90–100
Sep
80–90
Oct
70–80
Nov
80–90
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
70–80%
2 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
60–70%
3 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
20–30%
4 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a VOC in Rakiura National Park?

About 79% of wildlife watchers report a VOC sighting in Rakiura National Park, based on 1,121 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see VOC in Rakiura National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for VOC in Rakiura National Park in our monthly data.

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