Haematopus leucopodus
Silhouette: terngirl · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The Magellanic oystercatcher (Haematopus leucopodus) is a species of wader in the family Haematopodidae. It is found in Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands in freshwater lake and sandy shore habitats. The Magellanic oystercatcher has a length between 42 and 46 cm (17 and 18 in). The male weighs around 600 g (21 oz) and the female is a little heavier. This bird has a long, orange beak, yellow eye and eye ring, and yellow legs. The head, breast, back, wings and tail are black and the underparts are white, as are the feathers on the inner part of the wing which can be seen in flight. It is very similar in appearance to the American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), but can be distinguished by the yellow ring of bare skin that surrounds its yellow eye and the white secondary feathers. No other species of oystercatcher has these two features, and it is also the only New World species to have a black rather than a brown back. The call is similar to other oystercatchers, a repeated high-pitched "pee-pee".
This species is native to the southern tip of South America. Its range includes southern Argentina, Tierra del Fuego and other nearby... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Torres del Paine National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 3 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Magellanic Oystercatcher sighting in Tierra del Fuego National Park on a given day, based on 186 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 33rd most-seen of the 78 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December and January
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Magellanic Oystercatcher in Tierra del Fuego National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, the lowest month. June has too few records to rate.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Magellanic Oystercatcher sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Magellanic Oystercatcher sightings, Tierra del Fuego National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Torres del Paine National Park (Chile, about 20%) and Península Valdés (Argentina, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Magellanic Oystercatcher is recorded against all the birds logged in Tierra del Fuego National Park (186 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.
