---
title: "Sooty Oystercatcher"
description: "Haematopus fuliginosus — Birds. The sooty oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) is a species of oystercatcher."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/sooty-oystercatcher
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Sooty Oystercatcher

> Haematopus fuliginosus — Birds. The sooty oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) is a species of oystercatcher.

- Scientific name: *Haematopus fuliginosus*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `sea` (Sea & coast)
- iNaturalist observations: 6417
- Wikidata: [Q1006679](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1006679)
- iNaturalist taxon: [4847](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4847)

## Names

- en: Sooty Oystercatcher
- de: Ruß-Austernfischer
- es: Ostrero Negro Australiano
- fr: Huîtrier fuligineux
- nl: Australische zwarte scholekster
- pt: Piru-piru-preto-australiano
- pl: Ostrygojad australijski

## Countries with the most observations

AU (6268)

## Summary

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.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sooty_oystercatcher

## Photo

![Sooty Oystercatcher](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/sooty-oystercatcher/medium.jpg)

Photo: John Cull · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/144835671

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/sooty-oystercatcher?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).