Haematopus finschi
Silhouette: terngirl · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The South Island oystercatcher or South Island pied oystercatcher (Haematopus finschi) is one of two common oystercatcher species found in New Zealand. Its name is often contracted to the acronym "SIPO" (rhyming with "typo"). The indigenous Māori name is tōrea.
The South Island oystercatcher is easily identifiable as a pied oystercatcher – a large wader with striking black and white plumage, long red-orange bill, and red legs. It is distinguished from the pied morph of the variable oystercatcher by a white lower back, more white on the wing, and a demarcation line of black and white further forward on the breast, and from the pied oystercatcher of Australia by a longer bill and shorter legs, as well as the forward demarcation line of white on the back being pointed rather than square. It is 46 cm in length; its wingspan is 80–86 cm; it weighs 550 g.
The South Island oystercatcher is endemic to New Zealand where it breeds inland on the South Island, after which most... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Aoraki Mount Cook National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ōtorohanga Kiwi House | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a South Island Pied Oystercatcher sighting in Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 302 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 40th most-seen of the 94 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July–August and October
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a South Island Pied Oystercatcher in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February to April, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most South Island Pied Oystercatcher sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate South Island Pied Oystercatcher sightings, Fiordland National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Abel Tasman National Park (New Zealand, about 40%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the South Island Pied Oystercatcher is recorded against all the birds logged in Fiordland National Park (302 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
