Sooty Oystercatcher

Plumage

Adult: This is a completely black bird, with a straight, strong long red bill.  The legs are coloured pink.  The iris of the eye is red.  The sexes are similar.
Juvenile:  It might appear to be less black.  The bill is orange.  The legs are grey

Confusing Species

Pied Oystercatcher:  Similar to the Sooty Oystercatcher but has white in the plumage.
Southern Island Pied Oystercatcher:  Similar to the Sooty Oystercatcher but has white in the plumage.

Distribution

Found right around Australia, though considered rare in the north particularly in the Gulf of Carpentaria.  It is usually found on rocky coasts, off-shore islands, coral isles and single beaches, but will be found on sandy coasts.

Migratory habits

Resident.  Most of the time it seems to be sedentary, with small local movements.

Breeding

As mentioned above this bird will take advantage of rainfall anywhere in the interior.  A shallow scrape in gravel, mud or sand is used to lay the 3 or 4 eggs.

References

1. eBird. 2021. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available:  http://www.ebird.org (Accessed: Date 12/4/2026)
2. Rogers A, Fuller RA & Amano T (2023) Australia’s migratory shorebirds: Trends and prospects. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. University of Queensland, Brisbane.
3. Driessen, J., Kidd, L. R., Weller, D. R., Purnell, C., Maguire, G., Jaensch, R., and LeClair, S. M. (2025). Australian National Directory of Important Migratory Shorebird Habitat. Report for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. BirdLife Australia, Melbourne.
4. https://sproggies63.github.io/birding_apps/