South Island Oystercatcher
Haematopus finschi
LCLeast Concern Endemic to New Zealand
- Family
- Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
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 scientific name commemorates the German ethnographer, naturalist and colonial explorer Friedrich Hermann Otto Finsch (8 August 1839 – 31 January 1917, Braunschweig).
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds inland South Island (New Zealand); winters coastally to North Island.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Continents
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: South Island oystercatcher
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
