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Sooty OystercatcherAlternate name(s): "Black Oystercatcher", "Black Redbill", "Wee-ardoo" ![]() Size: 40-52 cm Weight: ca. 800 g (average) |
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Photos |
Race "fuliginosus"
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here .
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a Sooty Oystercatcher; even taking into account
the foreshortening effect of a frontal view, this bird appears
to have a relatively short bill, which makes it a likely male
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Caloundra, QLD, August 2017]
Close-up lateral view of a male Sooty Oystercatcher
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Batemans Bay, NSW, April 2023]
Lateral view of a Sooty Oystercatcher; its relatively short
bill indicates that it is a male(?) (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Caloundra, QLD, January 2018]
Close-up near-dorsal view of a male(?) Sooty Oystercatcher
stretching a wing
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Batemans Bay, NSW, April 2023]
Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Sooty Oystercatcher
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Batemans Bay, NSW, April 2023]
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FEMALE |
Sooty Oystercatcher in search of food; because of the apparent
length of its bill, this bird is likely a female
[Myall Lakes NP,
NSW, June 2009]
Lateral view of a female(?) Sooty Oystercatcher in flight
[Bundjalung NP,
NSW, February 2012]
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PAIR |
The difference in the length of the bill between male and female
Sooty Oystercatchers is small and it usually takes a combined view
of a pair to tell the two apart - here, the bird on the left has
a shorter bill, likely a male, than the one on the right, which is
likely a female
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Caloundra, QLD, August 2017]
Lateral view of a pair of Sooty Oystercatchers; male(?) on the
left, female(?) on the right (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Caloundra, QLD, January 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a pair of Sooty Oystercatchers; male(?) on the
right, female(?) on the left (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Caloundra, QLD, January 2018]
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of a Sooty Oystercatcher
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Lakes Entrance, VIC, September 2019]
Near-lateral view of a Sooty Oystercatcher
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Kilcarnup Beach, WA, December 2016]
Lateral view of a Sooty Oystercatcher
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
Lateral view of a Sooty Oystercatcher
[Bundjalung NP,
NSW, February 2012]
Near-dorsal view of a Sooty Oystercatcher
[Pebbly Beach, Crescent Head, NSW, October 2013]
Dorsal view of a pair of Sooty Oystercatcher
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Caloundra, QLD, January 2018]
Dorsal view of a Sooty Oystercatcher
[Bundjalung NP,
NSW, February 2012]
Sooty Oystercatcher jumping and flapping its wings to beat water out
of the feathers after taking a bath
[Pebbly Beach, Crescent Head, NSW, October 2013]
Sooty Oystercatcher preening; note how the mandibles can be offset
for use as a fork
[Pebbly Beach, Crescent Head, NSW, October 2013]
Three out of four Sooty Oystercatchers
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, January 2011]
Sooty Oystercatcher resting on a rock (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Two Peoples Bay, Albany, WA, January 2015]
Direct comparison of a Sooty Oystercatcher with a Pied Oystercatcher
[Iluka Bluff, Bundjalung
NP, NSW, May 2014]
Trivia challenge: What is that? Answer: 3 Sooty Oystercatchers
in flight
[Near Old Bar, NSW, June 2011]
Race "ophthalmicus"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Lateral view of a Sooty Oystercatcher;
based on the length of the bill, this bird is probably a male
- note the wide orbital ring, short bill and dark claws typical
of this race (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Nightcliff, Darwin, NT, March 2013]
Lateral view of a male(?) Sooty Oystercatcher, together with a
Pied Oystercatcher
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2018]
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PAIR |
Near-lateral view of a pair of Sooty Oystercatchers;
based on the length of the bill, the bird on the left is
probably a female, the one on the right a male
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Nightcliff, Darwin, NT, March 2013]
Sex unknown |
Near-dorsal view of a Sooty Oystercatcher, together with a
Sanderling;
click on photo to see several other species of waders
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Nightcliff, Darwin, NT, March 2013]
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial? | Mobility: Dispersive | Elementary unit: Pair/family clan |
Sooty Oystercatchers have a strong preference for rocky coastal habitats.
Sooty Oystercatchers resting on a
rock platform
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Cape Le Grand NP, WA, October 2018]
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Food, Diet |
Sooty Oystercatches feed on oysters and other shellfish that they pry loose with their powerful bills.
Female(?) Sooty Oystercatcher with a cockle it has caught; it was seen sliding
one mandible of its bill between the two half shells in order to open
it (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Broadbeach, Gold Coast, QLD, May 2014]
Sooty Oystercatcher with its prey (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Caloundra, QLD, August 2017]
Sooty Oystercatcher with its meal
[Myall Lakes NP,
NSW, June 2009]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
sootoys_20150326.m4a |
fuliginosus (N NSW) |
Contact call? (in-flight) | © MD | |
sootoys_20150326_2.m4a |
fuliginosus (N NSW) |
Contact calls? (in-flight) | © MD | |
sootoys_20140526_4.mp3 |
fuliginosus (N NSW) |
Warning calls? (in-flight) | © MD | |
sootoys_20150818.m4a |
fuliginosus (N NSW) |
Squabbling (2 birds, in-flight) | © MD |
More Sooty Oystercatcher sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.