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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Haematopodidae
  4. ›
  5. Haematopus
  6. ›
  7. South Island Oystercatcher
South Island Oystercatcher
Photo · (c) Andrew Allen, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

South Island Oystercatcher

Haematopus finschiMartens, GH, 1897

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
CHARADRIIFORMES
Family
Haematopodidae
Genus
Haematopus

At a glance

The South Island Oystercatcher, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The South Island oystercatcher or South Island pied oystercatcher is one of two common oystercatcher species found in New Zealand. Its name is often contracted to the acronym "SIPO". The indigenous Māori name is tōrea. The scientific name commemorates the German ethnographer, naturalist and colonial explorer Friedrich Hermann Otto Finsch.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a South Island Oystercatcher?

The South Island Oystercatcher is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the South Island Oystercatcher live in Australia?

The South Island Oystercatcher is native to Australia, recorded across 9 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingInland South I. (New Zealand)

Non-breedingTo coastal North and Stewart is. (New Zealand)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Breeding
  • Non-breeding
  • Vagrant

4 regions recorded