South Island Pied Oystercatcher
South Island Pied OystercatcherSouth Island Pied OystercatcherSouth Island Pied OystercatcherSouth Island Pied Oystercatcher

South Island Pied Oystercatcher

Haematopus finschi

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
40–50% · Likely
overall probability at Abel Tasman National Park
212 Verified records at Abel Tasman National Park
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The South Island oystercatcher or South Island pied oystercatcher (Haematopus finschi) is one of two common oystercatcher species found in New Zealand. Its name is often contracted to the acronym "SIPO" (rhyming with "typo"). The indigenous Māori name is tōrea. The scientific name commemorates the German ethnographer, naturalist and colonial explorer Friedrich Hermann Otto Finsch (8 August 1839 – 31 January 1917, Braunschweig). Wikipedia →

40–50% of wildlife watchers report a South Island Pied Oystercatcher sighting in Abel Tasman National Park, based on 212 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Abel Tasman National Park

VOC
LC Endemic

VOC

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haematopus unicolor

60–70% · Likely
Dominican Gull
LC

Dominican Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus dominicanus

70–80% · Very likely
Silver Gull
Endemic

Silver Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

50–60% · Likely
Masked Lapwing
LC

Masked Lapwing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vanellus miles

20–30% · Possible
Caspian Tern
LC

Caspian Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hydroprogne caspia

20–30% · Possible
White-headed Stilt

White-headed Stilt

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Himantopus leucocephalus

20–30% · Possible
Bar-tailed Godwit
NT

Bar-tailed Godwit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Limosa lapponica

10–20% · With luck
White-fronted Tern
NT

White-fronted Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna striata

10–20% · With luck
Black-billed Gull
Endemic

Black-billed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus bulleri

5–10% · With luck
Black-fronted Tern
EN Endemic

Black-fronted Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chlidonias albostriatus

<5% · Rare
Parasitic Jaeger
LC

Parasitic Jaeger

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Stercorarius parasiticus

Insufficient data
Wrybill
VU Endemic

Wrybill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anarhynchus frontalis

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

40–50
Jan
50–60
Feb
50–60
Mar
50–60
Apr
60–70
May
50–60
Jun
50–60
Jul
30–40
Aug
30–40
Sep
20–30
Oct
20–30
Nov
30–40
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 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
40–50%
2 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
20–30%
3 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
4 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
5 Arthur's Pass National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a South Island Pied Oystercatcher in Abel Tasman National Park?

About 43% of wildlife watchers report a South Island Pied Oystercatcher sighting in Abel Tasman National Park, based on 212 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see South Island Pied Oystercatcher in Abel Tasman National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for South Island Pied Oystercatcher in Abel Tasman National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Abel Tasman National Park