Sooty Oystercatcher

Haematopus fuliginosus

Photo by Brian Egan
Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia, May 2006

Identification

46–49 cm (18-19¼ in)

• Sooty-black overall plumage
• Red eye-ring and bill
• Pink legs
  

Young birds are duller and browner.

Distribution

Photo by Mzungu
Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Australia, 2014

Coasts and islands of Australia and Tasmania.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized:^[1]

• H. f. opthalmicus - Coasts and islands of northern Australia (Shark Bay to Lady Elliot Island)
• H. f. fuliginosus - Coasts and islands of southern Australia (north to Brisbane); Tasmania

Habitat

Rocky coastlines and sometimes estuaries.

Behaviour

Breeding

Colonial breeders, their nest is a ground scrape lined with broken shells, generally on a rocky shore. The clutch usually consists of 2 eggs, which are incubated by both adults and they both also care for the youngsters.

Diet

Their diet consists mostly of molluscs, crabs and crustaceans, marine worms, starfish, sea urchins, and small fish. They are quite deft with their bills at opening the shells of bi-valves. They also use it to stab at fish.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved February 2017)
3. Birds in Backyards

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Sooty Oystercatcher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Sooty_Oystercatcher

External Links

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