Whether you love watching tiny wrens flit about, sighing over the cute waddle of fairy penguins, or eyeing the dinosaur-like cassowary from a safe distance, Australia’s variety of bird life has something for everyone.
There are some sounds that are familiar to us all: the laughter of a kookaburra, the warble of a magpie, the raucous cry of a seagull, maybe even the whip of a bellbird. The songs of our native birds can become forgotten background noise to our daily lives, but if you listen carefully, you can hear nature in full voice.
In Australia we are spoiled for choice in our avian wildlife – we boast mega-biodiversity in flora and fauna, and we have over 800 species of birds. Over 45% of those species are only found in Australia. It’s a veritable feast for birdwatching, a pastime that is becoming increasingly popular as we become more mindful of our unique wildlife.
There are few more naturally mindful outdoor pursuits than birdwatching. The speed and agility of some birds means that you need to be fully present and focused to catch them. Blink and you’ll miss that dart by a shy visitor to the feeder. Other species are happy to settle in nearby branches and give you time to watch them while you relax on your veranda with a cup of tea. Birdwatching demands patience, dedication and, of course, binoculars.
Feeding Australian birds in your backyard
For many people, visits by more common native birds like rainbow lorikeets, noisy miners, and cockatoos begin an absorbing and lifelong passion. You might start by adding a birdbath to your garden to attract birds, especially during long hot summers, and a seed feeder to make sure none of your little friends are going hungry. However, what some overlook is how their garden can be better planned to offer their own backyard sanctuary for native birdlife.
The BirdLife Australia project Birds in Backyards offers a variety of tips and guides into how best to plan your backyard to not only entice your local bird life closer but also give them a safe environment to flourish. Rather than feeding any feathery visitors seeds (they often contain varieties which aren’t native to the area), plan your garden to include trees and ground cover that birds in your area prefer to feed from and nest in. Be mindful of what’s in your local area to see if there are any gaps in cover that you could fill and remember to plant a variety of fauna species – otherwise you might only attract a limited range of birds.
When you make a habit of feeding birds, they learn to rely on this easy food source, which often contains ingredients that aren’t part of their natural healthy diet. The joy of having a backyard full of birds is seeing them carry on with their natural lives, rather than luring them in with food that ill-suits their diet and disrupts their normal behaviours. Keep this in mind and you’ll create a little bird haven of your own.
How to identify birds & ethically birdwatch
The vast number of bird species in Australia, unique or otherwise, means that you’ll never lack for birds to spot. In fact, there are so many that it can be a little overwhelming to new birdwatchers. It’s helpful to begin by watching and identifying the species common to your backyard – you’ll learn how to recognise a species by their calls, colouring, and behaviour.
As you get started, you can join online groups and communities that help the scientific community monitor the health of our wildlife. BirdLife Australia currently runs a variety of programs that track native bird populations, like their Birdata and Atlas initiatives. These allow members to enter data on birds they’ve sighted, including the species, the site, and the time of year. By offering these online platforms, organisations and individuals can work together to build insight into our bird populations.
BirdLife Australia also gives advice on ethical birdwatching and guidelines that cover how to best support the protection of birds and their habitats. All birdwatchers should avoid stressing out birds or exposing them to danger, never using any methods like flushing, spotlighting or call playback; limiting time spent around nests and the use of artificial light when photographing birds; keep habitat disturbance to a minimum by staying on available trails or tracks; and report any rare bird sightings to conservation authorities before making this knowledge known to the public.
Birdwatching in the wild
Due to the variety of climates and environments found across Australia, avid birdwatchers don’t have to travel far to see species they don’t see at home. The fairy or little penguin, the smallest of its kind at 33cm tall, has colonies in several Australian states as well as New Zealand, although they are found mostly on offshore islands to protect them from feral predators and human disturbance. Anyone who’d like to pique their children’s interest in birds should consider visiting a colony – these tiny aquatic flightless birds are a captivating sight.
Birdwatchers should always keep their own safety in mind when travelling to spot wild birds, though. Found in Northern Queensland as well as New Guinea and eastern Indonesia, the female southern cassowary is the heaviest bird in Australia (although the emu can be taller) and is thoroughly imposing. With a lethal dagger claw on each foot that can grow up to 12cm, it’s a relief to know these prehistoric-looking creatures are generally shy and prefer to stay in their dense rainforest habitat. Keep your distance: some have been known to attack interlopers, mostly when they’ve previously been fed by humans and are expecting food. Federally listed as endangered with their wild population under threat, this is a bird that enthusiasts should love and protect from afar.
Then there are birds of prey like the nocturnal tawny frogmouth which is always a treat to spot as it blends in so well with its environment, and the stunning wedge-tailed eagle which has a wingspan of up to 2.8 metres. Seeing these large predators in the wild, soaring high overhead on thermal currents (regularly reaching heights of 1,800 metres and often much higher) is a delight for any birdwatcher.
Don’t leave home without…
Part of the thrill of birdwatching is being able to identify species. A decent set of binoculars could prove useful. Try before you buy: you don’t want to choose a pair that turns out to be too heavy to hike with comfortably, for instance, while, if you have large hands, you may find you cannot hold a compact pair easily. A pocket-sized notebook and something to write with will also come in handy for those times you can’t identify a bird and wish to make notes for later reference.
A field guide like The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia by Pizzey & Knight will give you a head start in identifying local birds and if you have a smartphone, there are numerous apps that will do everything from identify calls to logging sightings with your birdwatching community.
You can make this new hobby as social or as secluded as you like. Some quiet time with just you and the birds can be a real tonic for wellbeing, but you can also share your newfound passion with others by connecting with other enthusiasts or joining an organised event. BirdLife Australia gives this warning to all beginner birdwatchers: ‘at first glance, birdwatching may seem like an occasional or casual hobby, occupying an otherwise dreary hour or simply providing an excuse for some healthy outdoor exercise. However, its infinite, constantly unfolding variety may lure you on a passionate adventure that will transform your life!’
Our Australian birdwatching tour recommendations
As dusk falls in Bicheno, Tasmania, north-east of Hobart, walk pathways lit in a penguin-friendly colour spectrum to the beach to see little penguins interacting in the water, then coming ashore for the night. Explore the 30-year-old private penguin rookery with a guide, who will later forward photos of your experience.
www.bichenopenguintours.com.au
The 8000-hectare Bimblebox Nature Refuge in Queensland’s Desert Uplands, a biodiversity hotspot, is home to over 153 bird species, under-threat cassowaries and vulnerable species such as squatter pigeons and black-throated finches among them. You need to contact the Refuge ahead of visiting. They host an annual week-long art/science/nature camp, and also welcome volunteers to stay for weeks or even longer to assist with property maintenance.
www.bimblebox.org
Birding Tours Australia operate out of Newcastle, New South Wales and offer a range of specialty experiences, including a Night Tour where you’re almost guaranteed to spot a tawny frogmouth, and their Eight Habitats Tour which offers possible sightings of close to 400 species!
www.birdingtours.com.au
Discover more
- For more advice and guidance, visit the BirdLife Australia website at www.birdlife.org.au.
- Birds in Backyards offers tips to all avian enthusiasts at www.birdsinbackyards.net.
- If you’re in New Zealand, check out the digital encyclopaedia of New Zealand birds at www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz.
This article was originally published under the title Flying colours in Issue 33 – Dream a little dream. You can purchase this issue and enjoy more enchanting content here.
