Sooty Oystercatcher
Sooty OystercatcherSooty OystercatcherSooty OystercatcherSooty Oystercatcher

Sooty Oystercatcher

Haematopus fuliginosus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Great Otway National Park
180 Verified records at Great Otway National Park
October Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty Oystercatcher sighting in Great Otway National Park, based on 180 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Great Otway National Park

Pied Oystercatcher
LC Endemic

Pied Oystercatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haematopus longirostris

<5% · Rare
Silver Gull
Endemic

Silver Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

40–50% · Likely
Masked Lapwing
LC

Masked Lapwing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vanellus miles

30–40% · Possible
Crested Tern
LC

Crested Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus bergii

10–20% · With luck
Hooded Plover
NT Endemic

Hooded Plover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thinornis cucullatus

10–20% · With luck
Pacific Gull
LC Endemic

Pacific Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus pacificus

10–20% · With luck
Latham's Snipe
NT

Latham's Snipe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallinago hardwickii

5–10% · With luck
Black-bellied Plover
VU

Black-bellied Plover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pluvialis squatarola

Insufficient data
Pacific Golden-Plover
LC

Pacific Golden-Plover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pluvialis fulva

Insufficient data
Whiskered Tern
LC

Whiskered Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chlidonias hybrida

<5% · Rare
Caspian Tern
LC

Caspian Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hydroprogne caspia

<5% · Rare
Red-necked Stint
NT

Red-necked Stint

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris ruficollis

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
5–10
Mar
<5
Apr
10–20
May
5–10
Jun
10–20
Jul
5–10
Aug
10–20
Sep
10–20
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
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 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
2 Freycinet National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
3 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
4 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
5 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
6 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
7 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
8 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
9 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Sooty Oystercatcher in Great Otway National Park?

About 6% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty Oystercatcher sighting in Great Otway National Park, based on 180 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Sooty Oystercatcher in Great Otway National Park?

October has the highest sighting rate for Sooty Oystercatcher in Great Otway National Park in our monthly data.

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