Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

is the second-largest state in Australia but has the greatest biodiversity, with 684 species of bird recorded (more than closest-rivals New South Wales or West Australia with both around 550). The high avian biodiversity is probably a reflection of the wide variety of habitats, from desert to rainforest and mangrove forest to mulga, which make Queensland a birders paradise. This list is based on the 1996 classification by Sibley and Monroe (though there has been a recent (2008) extensive revision of Australian birds by Christidis and Boles), which has resulted in some lumping and splitting. Their system has been developed over nearly two decades and has strong local support, but deviates in important ways from more generally accepted schemes. Supplemental updates follow ''

The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World ''The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World'' is a book by Jim Clements which presents a list of the bird species of the world. The most recent printed version is the sixth edition (2007), but has been updated yearly, the last version in 202 ...

'', 2022 edition. This list also uses British English throughout. Any bird names or other wording follows that convention. The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories. * (A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Queensland * (E)

Endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

- a species endemic to Queensland * (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Queensland as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions

Ostriches

Order:

Struthioniformes Struthioniformes is an order of birds with only a single extant family, Struthionidae, containing the ostriches. Several other extinct families are known, spanning across the Northern Hemisphere, from the Early Eocene to the early Pliocene, includ ...

Family: Struthionidae This order is not native to Australia, but feral populations of one species have become established. *

Common ostrich The common ostrich (''Struthio camelus''), or simply ostrich, is a species of flightless bird native to certain large areas of Africa and is the largest living bird species. It is one of two extant species of ostriches, the only living members o ...

, ''Struthio camelus'' (I)

Cassowaries and emu

Order:

Casuariiformes The Casuariiformes is an order of large flightless birds that has four surviving members: the three species of cassowary, and the only remaining species of emu. They are divided into either a single family, Casuariidae, or more typically two, w ...

Family: Casuariidae This family of flightless ratite birds is represented by two living species in Australia. Another two species are found in New Guinea. The extinct, geographically-isolated

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

and

Kangaroo Island emu Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

s were historically considered to be separate species to mainland emus. However, genetic evidence from 2011 suggests that all three are conspecific. *

Southern cassowary The southern cassowary (''Casuarius casuarius''), also known as double-wattled cassowary, Australian cassowary or two-wattled cassowary, is a large flightless black bird. It is one of the three living species of cassowary, alongside the dwarf c ...

, ''Casuarius casuarius'' *

Emu The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The emu ...

, ''Dromaius novaehollandiae''

Magpie goose

Order: AnseriformesFamily:

Anseranatidae Anseranatidae, the magpie-geese, is a biological family of waterbirds. The only living species, the magpie goose, is a resident breeder in northern Australia and in southern New Guinea. Systematics and evolution This family is placed in the o ...

The family contains a single species, the magpie goose. It was an early and distinctive offshoot of the

anseriform Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which inc ...

family tree, diverging after the screamers and before all other ducks, geese and swans, sometime in the

late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', ...

. The single species is found across Australia. * Magpie goose, ''Anseranas semipalmata''

Ducks, geese, and waterfowl

Order: AnseriformesFamily:

Anatidae The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating ...

The family Anatidae includes the

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...

s and most duck-like waterfowl, such as

geese A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the she ...

and swans. These are adapted for an aquatic existence, with webbed feet, bills that are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils. *

Spotted whistling-duck The spotted whistling duck (''Dendrocygna guttata'') is a member of the duck family Anatidae The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring o ...

, ''Dendrocygna guttata'' *

Plumed whistling-duck The plumed whistling duck (''Dendrocygna eytoni''), also called the grass whistling duck, is a whistling duck that breeds in Australia. It is a predominantly brown-coloured duck with a long neck and characteristic plumes arising from its flank ...

, ''Dendrocygna eytoni'' *

Wandering whistling-duck The wandering whistling duck (''Dendrocygna arcuata'') is a species of whistling duck. They inhabit tropical and subtropical Australia, the Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. Taxonomy There are three subsp ...

, ''Dendrocygna arcuata'' *

Cape Barren goose The Cape Barren goose (''Cereopsis novaehollandiae'') is a large goose resident in southern Australia. Etymology The species' common name is derived from Cape Barren Island, where specimens were first sighted by European explorers. It is know ...

, ''Cereopsis novaehollandiae'' *

Freckled duck The freckled duck (''Stictonetta naevosa)'' is a waterfowl species endemic to Australia. The freckled duck has also been referred to as the monkey duck or oatmeal duck. These birds are usually present in mainland Australia, but disperse to coas ...

, ''Stictonetta naevosa'' * Mute swan, ''Cygnus olor'' (I) * Black swan, ''Cygnus atratus'' *

Radjah shelduck The radjah shelduck (''Radjah radjah''), is a species of shelduck found mostly in New Guinea and Australia, and also on some of the Moluccas. It is known alternatively as the raja shelduck, black-backed shelduck, or in Australia as the Burdekin ...

, ''Radjah radjah'' *

Australian shelduck The Australian shelduck (''Tadorna tadornoides''), also known as the chestnut-breasted shelduck or mountain duck, is a shelduck, a group of large goose-like ducks part of the bird family Anatidae. The genus name ''Tadorna'' comes from Celtic root ...

, ''Tadorna tadornoides'' *

Green pygmy-goose The green pygmy goose (''Nettapus pulchellus'') is a small perching duck which breeds in southern New Guinea and northern Australia.Alpher, Barry. 2004. Pama-Nyungan: Phonological Reconstruction and Status as a Phylo-Genetic Group. In Claire Bowe ...

, ''Nettapus pulchellus'' *

Cotton pygmy-goose The cotton pygmy goose or cotton teal (''Nettapus coromandelianus'') is a small perching duck which breeds in Asia, Southeast Asia extending south and east to Queensland where they are sometimes called white-quilled pygmy goose. They are among t ...

, ''Nettapus coromandelianus'' * Australian wood duck, ''Chenonetta jubata'' *

Garganey The garganey (''Spatula querquedula'') is a small dabbling duck. It breeds in much of Europe and across the Palearctic, but is strictly migratory, with the entire population moving to southern Africa, India (in particular Santragachi), Banglades ...

, ''Spatula querquedula'' (A) *

Australian shoveler The Australasian shoveler (''Spatula rhynchotis'') is a species of dabbling duck in the genus ''Spatula''. It ranges from 46 to 53 cm. It lives in heavily vegetated swamps. In Australia it is protected under the National Parks and Wildl ...

, ''Spatula rhynchotis'' *

Pacific black duck The Pacific black duck (''Anas superciliosa''), commonly known as the PBD, is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific, reaching to the Caroline Islands in the no ...

, ''Anas superciliosa'' * Mallard, ''Anas platyrhynchos'' (I) *

Grey teal The grey teal (''Anas gracilis'') is a dabbling duck found in open wetlands in Australia and New Zealand. Description It can be identified due to the presence of a crimson coloured iris in its eyes.Winter, M. (2018). Grey Teal. Wilderness Mag ...

, ''Anas gracilis'' * Chestnut teal, ''Anas castanea'' *

Pink-eared duck The pink-eared duck (''Malacorhynchus membranaceus'') is a species of duck found in Australia. It has a large spatulate bill like the Australasian shoveler, but is smaller at 38–40 cm length. Its brown back and crown, black and white barr ...

, ''Malacorhynchus membranaceus'' *

Hardhead The hardhead (''Aythya australis''), also known as the white-eyed duck, is the only true diving duck found in Australia. The common name "hardhead" has nothing to do with the density of the bird's skull, instead referring to the difficulty encou ...

, ''Aythya australis'' *

Blue-billed duck The blue-billed duck (''Oxyura australis'') is a small Australian stiff-tailed duck, with both the male and female growing to a length of 40 cm (16 in). The male has a slate-blue bill which changes to bright-blue during the breeding se ...

, ''Oxyura australis'' (A) *

Musk duck The musk duck (''Biziura lobata'') is a highly aquatic, stiff-tailed duck native to southern Australia. It is the only living member of the genus '' Biziura''. An extinct relative, the New Zealand musk duck or de Lautour's duck (''B. delauto ...

, ''Biziura lobata''

Megapodes

Order:

Galliformes Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are ofte ...

Family:

Megapodiidae The megapodes, also known as incubator birds or mound-builders, are stocky, medium-large, chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet in the family Megapodiidae. Their name literally means "large foot" and is a reference to the heavy legs ...

are represented by various species in the Australasian region. They are commonly referred to as "mound-builders" due to their habit of constructing large mounds to incubate their eggs. *

Australian brushturkey The Australian brushturkey or Australian brush-turkey or gweela (''Alectura lathami''), also frequently called the scrub turkey or bush turkey, is a common, widespread species of mound-building bird from the family Megapodiidae found in easter ...

, ''Alectura lathami'' *

Orange-footed scrubfowl The orange-footed scrubfowl (''Megapodius reinwardt''), also known as orange-footed megapode or just scrubfowl is a small megapode of the family Megapodiidae. This species comprises five subspecies found on many islands in the Lesser Sunda Islan ...

, ''Megapodius reinwardt''

Guineafowl

Order:

Family:

Numididae Guineafowl (; sometimes called "pet speckled hens" or "original fowl") are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branched o ...

Numididae are not native to Australia, but feral populations of one species exist in Queensland. * Helmeted guineafowl, ''Numida meleagris'' (I)

Pheasants, grouse, and allies

Order:

Family: Phasianidae Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump, with broad, relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans. *

Indian peafowl The Indian peafowl (''Pavo cristatus''), also known as the common peafowl, and blue peafowl, is a peafowl species native to the Indian subcontinent. It has been introduced to many other countries. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and ...

, ''Pavo cristatus'' (I) *

Brown quail The brown quail (''Synoicus ypsilophorus''), also known as the swamp quail, silver quail and Tasmanian quail, is an Australasian true quail of the family Phasianidae. It is a small, ground-dwelling bird and is native to mainland Australia, Tasman ...

, ''Synoicus ypsilophora'' *

Blue-breasted quail The king quail (''Synoicus chinensis''), also known as the blue-breasted quail, Asian blue quail, Chinese painted quail, or Chung-Chi, is a species of Old World quail in the family Phasianidae. This species is the smallest "true quail", rang ...

, ''Synoicus chinensis'' *

Stubble quail The stubble quail (''Coturnix pectoralis'') is a native Australian species which is the most common quail species in Australia. The species is not under any threat of extinction (IUCN Least Concern). Stubble quail are widespread and found throug ...

, ''Coturnix pectoralis'' *

Red junglefowl The red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus'') is a tropical bird in the family Phasianidae. It ranges across much of Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. It was formerly known as the Bankiva or Bankiva Fowl. It is the species that gave rise to the ...

, ''Gallus gallus'' (I) *

Wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey, which was originally d ...

, ''Meleagris gallopavo'' (I)

Grebes

Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae

Grebe Grebes () are aquatic diving birds in the order Podicipediformes . Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in marine habitats during migration and winter. Some flightless species exist as well, most notably ...

s are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land. * Australasian grebe, ''Tachybaptus novaehollandiae'' *

Hoary-headed grebe The hoary-headed grebe (''Poliocephalus poliocephalus'') is a member of the grebe family. It breeds in southern parts of Australia; it winters throughout the island of Tasmania. The bird takes its name from the silvery-white streaking on its bl ...

, ''Poliocephalus poliocephalus'' *

Great crested grebe The great crested grebe (''Podiceps cristatus'') is a member of the grebe family of water birds noted for its elaborate mating display. Taxonomy The great crested grebe was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in t ...

, ''Podiceps cristatus''

Pigeons and doves

Order:

Columbiformes Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

Family:

Columbidae Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

Pigeon Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

s and

dove Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

s are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy

cere The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for eating, preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food ...

. *

Rock pigeon The rock dove, rock pigeon, or common pigeon ( also ; ''Columba livia'') is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, it is often simply referred to as the "pigeon". The domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domes ...

, ''Columba livia'' (I) *

White-headed pigeon The white-headed pigeon (''Columba leucomela'') is a pigeon native to the east coast of Australia. Taxonomy and systematics The pigeon family is a group of stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a worldwide distribut ...

, ''Columba leucomela'' * Spotted dove, ''Streptopelia chinensis'' (I) *

Brown cuckoo-dove The brown cuckoo-dove (''Macropygia phasianella'') is a dove in the genus ''Macropygia'' found in Australia from Weipa and Aurukun in the north to Bega in the south, and most inland at Atherton and Toowoomba. It is sometimes called the "brown ...

, ''Macropygia phasianella'' *

Asian emerald dove The common emerald dove (''Chalcophaps indica''), also called Asian emerald dove and grey-capped emerald dove, is a widespread resident breeding pigeon native to the tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. ...

, ''Chalcophaps indica'' * Pacific emerald dove, ''Chalcophaps longirostris'' *

Common bronzewing The common bronzewing (''Phaps chalcoptera'') is a species of medium-sized, heavily built pigeon. Native to Australia and one of the country's most common pigeons, the common bronzewing is able to live in almost any habitat, with the possible ex ...

, ''Phaps chalcoptera'' *

Brush bronzewing The brush bronzewing (''Phaps elegans'') is a species of bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. It is endemic to Australia, with two biogeographically distinct subspecies. Taxonomy The brush bronzewing is one of around 310 species in the fami ...

, ''Phaps elegans'' *

Flock bronzewing The flock bronzewing (''Phaps histrionica''), also known as the flock pigeon, harlequin bronzewing and the harlequin pigeonCrome, F., Shields, J. (1992). ''Parrots & Pigeons of Australia''. Angus & Robertson Publishers is a species of pigeon in t ...

, ''Phaps histrionica'' *

Crested pigeon The crested pigeon (''Ocyphaps lophotes'') is a bird found widely throughout mainland Australia except for the far northern tropical areas. Only two Australian pigeon species possess an erect crest, the crested pigeon and the spinifex pigeon. The ...

, ''Ocyphaps lophotes'' *

Spinifex pigeon The spinifex pigeon (''Geophaps plumifera''), also known as the plumed-pigeon or gannaway pigeon, is one of four endemic Australian bird species within the genus ''Geophaps''. It occurs within a broader group known as bronzewing pigeons. This sp ...

, ''Geophaps plumifera'' *

Squatter pigeon The squatter pigeon (''Geophaps scripta'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to northeastern Australia. According to Australia's then Department of the Environment and Energy, the nominate subspecies, southern squatter ...

, ''Geophaps scripta'' *

Wonga pigeon The wonga pigeon (''Leucosarcia melanoleuca'') is a pigeon that inhabits areas in eastern Australia with its range being from Central Queensland to Gippsland, eastern Victoria, Australia. Distribution and habitat Previously they could be found ...

, ''Leucosarcia melanoleuca'' *

Diamond dove The diamond dove (''Geopelia cuneata'') is a resident bird in Australia. The dove predominantly exists in areas near water but which are lightly arid or semi-arid in nature, being Central, West and Northern Australia. They are one of Australia's ...

, ''Geopelia cuneata'' *

Peaceful dove The peaceful dove (''Geopelia placida'') is a pigeon native to Australia and New Guinea. The peaceful dove is closely related to the zebra dove of south-east Asia and the barred dove of eastern Indonesia. Until recently, the three were classed as ...

, ''Geopelia placida'' *

Bar-shouldered dove The bar-shouldered dove (''Geopelia humeralis'') is a species of Geopelia, long tailed dove native to Australia and Southern New Guinea. It is protected under the ''National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974''. It is a medium-sized pigeon varying in s ...

, ''Geopelia humeralis'' *

Wompoo fruit-dove The wompoo fruit dove (''Ptilinopus magnificus''), also known as wompoo pigeon, is one of the larger fruit doves native to New Guinea and eastern Australia. Taxonomy and systematics Subspecies There are generally 7-8 recognised subspecies, ...

, ''Ptilinopus magnificus'' * Orange-fronted fruit-dove, ''Ptilinopus aurantiifrons'' (A) * Superb fruit-dove, ''Ptilinopus superbus'' *

Rose-crowned fruit-dove The rose-crowned fruit dove (''Ptilinopus regina''), also known as pink-capped fruit dove or Swainson's fruit dove, is a medium-sized, up to 22 cm long, green fruit dove with a grey head and breast, an orange belly, whitish throat, yellow-or ...

, ''Ptilinopus regina'' * Orange-bellied fruit-dove, ''Ptilinopus iozonus'' (A) * Elegant imperial-pigeon, ''Ducula concinna'' (A) *

Pacific imperial-pigeon The Pacific imperial pigeon (''Ducula pacifica'') is a widespread species of pigeon in the family Columbidae. It is found in American Samoa, the Cook Islands, the smaller islands of eastern Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, the smaller satellite islands of ...

, ''Ducula pacifica'' * Island imperial-pigeon, ''Ducula pistrinaria'' * Collared imperial-pigeon, ''Ducula mullerii'' * Torresian imperial-pigeon, ''Ducula spilorrhoa'' *

Topknot pigeon The topknot pigeon (''Lopholaimus antarcticus'') is a pigeon native to eastern Australia. Taxonomy English naturalist George Shaw described the topknot pigeon as ''Columba antarctica'' in 1793. The topknot pigeon is sister taxon to a lineage t ...

, ''Lopholaimus antarcticus''

Bustards

Order: OtidiformesFamily:

Otididae Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial birds living mainly in dry grassland areas and on the steppes of the Old World. They range in length from . They make up the family Otididae (, formerly known as Otidae). Bustard ...

Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays. *

Australian bustard The Australian bustard (''Ardeotis australis'') is a large ground dwelling bird which is common in grassland, woodland and open agricultural country across northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It stands at about high, and its wingspan is ...

, ''Ardeotis australis''

Cuckoos

Order:

Cuculiformes Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separa ...

Family:

Cuculidae Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separa ...

The family Cuculidae includes

cuckoo Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separ ...

roadrunner The roadrunners (genus ''Geococcyx''), also known as chaparral birds or chaparral cocks, are two species of fast-running ground cuckoos with long tails and crests. They are found in the southwestern and south-central United States and Mexico, us ...

s and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites. *

Pheasant coucal The pheasant coucal (''Centropus phasianinus'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Australia, Timor and New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical man ...

, ''Centropus phasianinus'' *

Asian koel The Asian koel (''Eudynamys scolopaceus'') is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent, China, and Southeast Asia. It forms a superspecies with the closely related black-billed koels, and ...

, ''Eudynamys scolopaceus'' *

Australian koel The Pacific koel (''Eudynamys orientalis''), also known as the eastern koel or formerly Common Koel, is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. In Australia, it is colloquially known as the ''rainbird'' or ''stormbird'', as its call is usua ...

, ''Eudynamys cyanocephalus'' * Channel-billed cuckoo, ''Scythrops novaehollandiae'' * Horsfield's bronze-cuckoo, ''Chrysococcyx basalis'' *

Black-eared cuckoo The black-eared cuckoo (''Chrysococcyx osculans'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. Found across Australia, it migrates to eastern Indonesia and southern New Guinea. They are usually observed by themselves or in a pair as they do ...

, ''Chrysococcyx osculans'' *

Shining bronze-cuckoo The shining bronze cuckoo (''Chrysococcyx lucidus'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae, found in Australia, Indonesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. It was previously also known as ''Ch ...

, ''Chrysococcyx lucidus'' * Little bronze-cuckoo, ''Chrysococcyx minutillus'' *

Pallid cuckoo The pallid cuckoo (''Cacomantis pallidus'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Australia, with some migration to the islands of Timor and Papua New Guinea. It is between 28 and 33 cm ...

, ''Cuculus pallidus'' *

Chestnut-breasted cuckoo The chestnut-breasted cuckoo (''Cacomantis castaneiventris'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical ...

, ''Cacomantis castaneiventris'' *

Fan-tailed cuckoo The fan-tailed cuckoo (''Cacomantis flabelliformis'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Taxonomy Six subspecies have been reco ...

, ''Cacomantis flabelliformis'' *

Brush cuckoo The brush cuckoo (''Cacomantis variolosus'') is a member of the cuckoo family. The brush cuckoo is native to Malesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and northern and eastern Australia. It is a grey-brown bird with a buff breast. Its call is a ...

, ''Cacomantis variolosus'' *

Oriental cuckoo The Oriental cuckoo or Horsfields cuckoo (''Cuculus optatus'') is a bird belonging to the genus ''Cuculus'' in the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the Himalayan cuckoo (''C. saturatus''), with the name 'Orie ...

, ''Cuculus optatus''

Frogmouths

Order:

Caprimulgiformes Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae and order Caprimulgiformes, characterised by long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They are sometimes called goatsuckers, due to the ancient folk tal ...

Family: Podargidae The frogmouths are a distinctive group of small nocturnal birds related to swifts found from India across southern Asia to Australia. *

Tawny frogmouth The tawny frogmouth (''Podargus strigoides'') is a species of frogmouth native to the Australian mainland and Tasmania and found throughout. It is a big-headed, stocky bird, often mistaken for an owl, due to its nocturnal habits and similar colo ...

, ''Podargus strigoides'' *

Marbled frogmouth The marbled frogmouth (''Podargus ocellatus'') is a bird in the family Podargidae. The species was first described by Jean René Constant Quoy and Joseph Paul Gaimard in 1830. It is found in the Aru Islands, New Guinea and Queensland. Its nat ...

, ''Podargus ocellatus'' *

Papuan frogmouth The Papuan frogmouth (''Podargus papuensis'') is a species of bird in the family Podargidae. Taxonomy The species was originally described by zoologist Jean René Constant Quoy and naturalist Joseph Paul Gaimard in 1830. The three subspeci ...

, ''Podargus papuensis''

Nightjars and allies

Order:

Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjar Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae and order Caprimulgiformes, characterised by long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They are sometimes called goatsuckers, due to the ancient folk tal ...

s are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves. *

Spotted nightjar The spotted nightjar (''Eurostopodus argus'') is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It inhabits much of mainland Australia and has also been found in several Indonesian islands. Its natural habitats are open forests and woodland ...

, ''Eurostopodus argus'' * White-throated nightjar, ''Eurostopodus mystacalis'' *

Large-tailed nightjar The large-tailed nightjar (''Caprimulgus macrurus'') is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found along the southern Himalayan foothills, eastern South Asia, Southeast Asia and northern Australia. This species is a reside ...

, ''Caprimulgus macrurus''

Owlet-nightjars

Order:

Family: Aegothelidae The owlet-nightjars are a distinctive group of small nocturnal birds related to swifts found from the

Maluku Islands The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located ...

and New Guinea to Australia and New Caledonia. * Australian owlet-nightjar, ''Aegotheles cristatus''

Swifts

Order:

Family:

Apodidae The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are not closely related to any passerine species. Swifts are placed in the order Apodiformes with hummingbirds. The treeswifts are closely ...

Swift Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to: * SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks ** SWIFT code * Swift (programming language) * Swift (bird), a family of birds It may also refer to: Organizations * SWIFT, ...

s are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang. * Papuan spinetailed swift, ''Mearnsia novaeguineae'' (A) * White-throated needletail, ''Hirundapus caudacutus'' *

Glossy swiftlet The glossy swiftlet (''Collocalia esculenta'') is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and eastwards to New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands. Taxonomy The glossy s ...

, ''Collocalia esculenta'' (A) * Australian swiftlet, ''Aerodramus terraereginae'' (E) * Uniform swiftlet, ''Aerodramus vanikorensis'' (A) *

Pacific swift The Pacific swift or fork-tailed swift (''Apus pacificus'') is a species of bird that is part of the Swift family. It breeds in eastern Asia. It is strongly migratory, spending the northern hemisphere's winter in Southeast Asia and Austral ...

, ''Apus pacificus'' *

House swift The house swift (''Apus nipalensis'') is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found in Japan, Nepal, and Southeast Asia. It is capable of flying long distances by alternately shutting off hemispheres of their brain in-flight. In May 2 ...

, ''Apus nipalensis'' (A)

Rails, gallinules, and coots

Order:

Gruiformes The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like". Traditionally, a number of wading and terrestrial bird families that did ...

Family:

Rallidae The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small- to medium-sized, ground-living birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules. Many species are associated with wetlands, althou ...

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the

rails Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' ( ...

, crakes,

coot Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family, Rallidae. They constitute the genus ''Fulica'', the name being the Latin term for "coot". Coots have predominantly black plumage, and—unlike many rails—they are usually ...

s and

gallinule Moorhens—sometimes called marsh hens—are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family (Rallidae). Most species are placed in the genus ''Gallinula'', Latin for "little hen". They are close relatives of coots. They are of ...

s. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers. *

Lewin's rail Lewin's rail (''Lewinia pectoralis'') is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is also known as the water rail, Lewin's water rail, Lewin's grind rail, slate-breasted rail, slate-breasted water rail, pectoral rail, pectoral water rail, sho ...

, ''Lewinia pectoralis'' * Chestnut rail, ''Gallirallus castaneoventris'' *

Buff-banded rail The buff-banded rail (''Hypotaenidia philippensis'') is a distinctively coloured, highly dispersive, medium-sized rail of the rail family, Rallidae. This species comprises several subspecies found throughout much of Australasia and the south-we ...

, ''Gallirallus philippensis'' *

Black-tailed nativehen The black-tailed nativehen (''Tribonyx ventralis'') is a rail native to Australia. Description The black-tailed nativehen is a large dark bird, reaching about 38 cm in length and weighing around 400 g. This species possesses an erect tail ...

, ''Tribonyx ventralis'' * Australian crake, ''Porzana fluminea'' *

Dusky moorhen The dusky moorhen (''Gallinula tenebrosa'') is a bird species in the rail family and is one of the eight extant species in the moorhen genus. It occurs in India, Australia, New Guinea, Borneo and Indonesia. It is often confused with the purple s ...

, ''Gallinula tenebrosa'' *

Eurasian coot The Eurasian coot (''Fulica atra''), also known as the common coot, or Australian coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. It is found in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and parts of North Africa. It has a slaty-bla ...

, ''Fulica atra'' *

Australasian swamphen The Australasian swamphen (''Porphyrio melanotus'') is a species of swamphen (''Porphyrio'') occurring in eastern Indonesia (the Moluccas, Aru and Kai Islands), Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand, it is known as the pu ...

, ''Porphyrio melanotus'' * Pale-vented bush-hen, ''Amaurornis moluccana'' *

White-browed crake The white-browed crake (''Poliolimnas cinereus'') is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is found in Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, India, Malaysia, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the ...

, ''Poliolimnas cinereus'' *

Red-necked crake The red-necked crake (''Rallina tricolor'') is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae. Description The red-necked crake is a large crake (length 25 cm, wingspan 40 cm, weight 200 g). Its head, neck and breast are red-brown, ...

, ''Rallina tricolor'' *

Baillon's crake Baillon's crake (''Zapornia pusilla''), also known as the marsh crake, is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae. Distribution Their breeding habitat is sedge beds in Europe, mainly in the east, and across the Palearctic. They used to breed i ...

, ''Zapornia pusilla'' *

Spotless crake The spotless crake (''Zapornia tabuensis'') is a species of bird in the rail family, Rallidae. It is widely distributed species occurring from the Philippines, New Guinea and Australia, across the southern Pacific Ocean to the Marquesas Islands a ...

, ''Zapornia tabuensis''

Cranes

Order:

Family: Gruidae Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". * Sarus crane, ''Antigone antigone'' * Brolga, ''Antigone rubicunda''

Thick-knees

Order:

Charadriiformes Charadriiformes (, from ''Charadrius'', the type genus of family Charadriidae) is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 390 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most charadriiform birds live near water an ...

Family:

Burhinidae The stone-curlews, also known as dikkops or thick-knees, consist of 10 species within the family Burhinidae, and are found throughout the tropical and temperate parts of the world, with two or more species occurring in some areas of Africa, Asia, ...

The thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats. *

Bush thick-knee The bush stone-curlew or bush thick-knee, also known as the Iben bird (''Burhinus grallarius'', obsolete name ''Burhinus magnirostris'') is a large, ground-dwelling bird endemic to Australia. Its favoured habitat is open plains and woodlands, whe ...

, ''Burhinus grallarius'' * Beach thick-knee, ''Esacus magnirostris''

Stilts and avocets

Order:

Family:

Recurvirostridae The Recurvirostridae are a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadrii. It contains two distinct groups of birds, the avocets (one genus) and the stilts (two genera). Description Avocets and stilts range in length from and in weight fro ...

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the

avocet The four species of avocets are a genus, ''Recurvirostra'', of waders in the same avian family as the stilts. The genus name comes from Latin , 'curved backwards' and , 'bill'. The common name is thought to derive from the Italian ( Ferrarese) ...

s and

stilt Stilt is a common name for several species of birds in the family Recurvirostridae, which also includes those known as avocets. They are found in brackish or saline wetlands in warm or hot climates. They have extremely long legs, hence the grou ...

s. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin straight bills. *

Pied stilt The pied stilt (''Himantopus leucocephalus''), also known as the white-headed stilt, is a shorebird in the family Recurvirostridae. It is widely distributed with a large total population size and apparently stable population trend, occurring in ...

, ''Himantopus leucocephalus'' *

Banded stilt The banded stilt (''Cladorhynchus leucocephalus'') is a nomadic wader of the stilt and avocet family, Recurvirostridae, native to Australia. It belongs to the monotypic genus ''Cladorhynchus''. It gets its name from the red-brown breast band fo ...

, ''Cladorhynchus leucocephalus'' (A) *

Red-necked avocet The red-necked avocet (''Recurvirostra novaehollandiae'') also known as the Australian avocet, cobbler, cobbler's awl, and painted lady, is a wader of the family Recurvirostridae that is endemic to Australia and is fairly common and widespread t ...

, ''Recurvirostra novaehollandiae''

Oystercatchers

Order:

Family: Haematopodidae The

oystercatcher The oystercatchers are a group of waders forming the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, ''Haematopus''. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and South East Asia. The ...

s are large and noisy

plover Plovers ( , ) are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. Description There are about 66 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subf ...

-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs. *

Pied oystercatcher The pied oystercatcher (''Haematopus longirostris'') is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. The similar South Island pied oystercatcher (''H. finschi'') occurs in New Zealand. ...

, ''Haematopus longirostris'' * South Island oystercatcher, ''Haematopus finschi'' (A) *

Sooty oystercatcher The sooty oystercatcher (''Haematopus fuliginosus'') is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird endemic to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. It prefers rocky coastlines, but will occasionally live in estuaries. All of its fea ...

, ''Haematopus fuliginosus''

Plovers and lapwings

Order:

Family:

Charadriidae The bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 68 species in all. Taxonomy The family Charadriidae was introduced (as Charadriadæ) by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the con ...

The family Charadriidae includes the

dotterel The Eurasian dotterel (''Charadrius morinellus''), also known in Europe as just dotterel, is a small wader in the plover family of birds. The dotterel is a brown and black streaked bird with a broad white eye-stripe and an orange-red chest ban ...

s and

lapwing Lapwings (subfamily Vanellinae) are any of various ground-nesting birds (family Charadriidae) akin to plovers and dotterels. They range from in length, and are noted for their slow, irregular wingbeats in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. A gro ...

s. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water. *

Black-bellied plover The grey plover or black-bellied plover (''Pluvialis squatarola'') is a large plover breeding in Arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding. Taxonomy The grey plover was forma ...

, ''Pluvialis squatarola'' * American golden-plover, ''Pluvialis dominica'' (A) * Pacific golden-plover, ''Pluvialis fulva'' *

Banded lapwing The banded lapwing (''Vanellus tricolor'') is a small to medium-sized shorebird, found in small parties or large flocks on bare ground in open grasslands, agricultural land and open savannah. It is native to Australia and in the past considered ...

, ''Vanellus tricolor'' * Masked lapwing, ''Vanellus miles'' *

Lesser sand-plover The lesser sand plover (''Charadrius mongolus'') is a small wader in the plover family of birds. The spelling is commonly given as lesser sand-plover, but the official British Ornithologists' Union spelling is "lesser sand plover". The genus ...

, ''Charadrius mongolus'' *

Greater sand-plover The greater sand plover (''Charadrius leschenaultii'') is a small wader in the plover family of birds. The spelling is commonly given as "greater sandplover" or "greater sand-plover", but the official British Ornithologists' Union spelling is "Gre ...

, ''Charadrius leschenaultii'' *

Double-banded plover The double-banded plover (''Charadrius bicinctus''), known as the banded dotterel or pohowera in New Zealand, is a species of bird in the plover family. Two subspecies are recognised: the nominate ''Charadrius bicinctus bicinctus'', which breed ...

, ''Charadrius bicinctus'' *

Red-capped plover The red-capped plover (''Charadrius ruficapillus''), also known as the red-capped dotterel, is a small species of plover. It breeds in Australia. This species is closely related to (and sometimes considered conspecific with) the Kentish plover, ...

, ''Charadrius ruficapillus'' *

Common ringed plover The common ringed plover or ringed plover (''Charadrius hiaticula'') is a small plover that breeds in Arctic Eurasia. The genus name ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from ...

, ''Charadrius hiaticula'' (A) *

Semipalmated plover The semipalmated plover (''Charadrius semipalmatus'') is a small plover. ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek ''kharadrios'' a bird found in ravines and ri ...

, ''Charadrius semipalmatus'' (A) *

Little ringed plover The little ringed plover (''Charadrius dubius'') is a small plover. The genus name ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek ''kharadrios'' a bird found in river ...

, ''Charadrius dubius'' (A) *

Oriental plover The oriental plover (''Charadrius veredus''), also known as the oriental dotterel, is a medium-sized plover closely related to the Caspian plover. It breeds in parts of Mongolia and China, migrating southwards each year to spend its non-breedi ...

, ''Charadrius veredus'' *

Red-kneed dotterel The red-kneed dotterel (''Erythrogonys cinctus'') is a species of plover in a monotypic genus in the subfamily Vanellinae. It is often gregarious and will associate with other waders of its own and different species, even when nesting. It is ...

, ''Erythrogonys cinctus'' *

Hooded plover The hooded dotterel or hooded plover (''Thinornis cucullatus'') is a species of bird in the family Charadriidae. It is endemic to southern Australia, where it inhabits ocean beaches and subcoastal lagoons. There are two recognised subspecies whi ...

, ''Thinornis cucullatus'' (A) *

Black-fronted dotterel The black-fronted dotterel (''Elseyornis melanops'') is a small plover wader in the Charadriidae family. Description This shorebird is easily recognizable with its distinct black face mask, forehead and v-shaped band across the chest. Dorsall ...

, ''Elseyornis melanops'' *

Inland dotterel The inland dotterel (''Peltohyas australis'') is an endemic bird of the arid Australian interior. It forms loose flocks in sparsely vegetated gibber plain and claypans in the day where it loafs in the shade and eats shoots of shrubs. It is most ...

, ''Peltohyas australis''

Plains-wanderer

Order:

Family: Pedionomidae The plains-wanderer is a

quail Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy. Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New ...

-like ground bird. They are excellent camouflagers, and will first hide at any disturbance. If they're approached too close, they will run as opposed to flying, which they are very poor at. *

Plains-wanderer The plains-wanderer (''Pedionomus torquatus'') is a bird, the only representative of family Pedionomidae and genus ''Pedionomus''. It is endemic to Australia. The majority of the remaining population is found in the Riverina region of New So ...

, ''Pedionomus torquatus''

Painted-snipes

Order:

Family: Rostratulidae Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly coloured. * Australian painted-snipe, ''Rostratula australis''

Jacanas

Order:

Family: Jacanidae The jacanas are a group of waders found throughout the tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. *

Comb-crested jacana The comb-crested jacana (''Irediparra gallinacea''), also known as the lotusbird or lilytrotter, is the only species of jacana in the genus ''Irediparra''. Like other jacana species, it is adapted to the floating vegetation of tropical freshwat ...

, ''Irediparra gallinacea''

Sandpipers and allies

Order:

Family:

Scolopacidae Sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. ...

Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the

sandpiper Sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil ...

curlew The curlews () are a group of nine species of birds in the genus ''Numenius'', characterised by their long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. The English name is imitative of the Eurasian curlew's call, but may have been in ...

godwit The godwits are a group of large, long-billed, long-legged and strongly migratory waders of the bird genus ''Limosa''. Their long bills allow them to probe deeply in the sand for aquatic worms and molluscs. In their winter range, they floc ...

s, shanks, tattlers,

woodcock The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus ''Scolopax''. The genus name is Latin for a snipe or woodcock, and until around 1800 was used to refer to a variety of waders. The English name ...

snipe A snipe is any of about 26 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill, eyes placed high on the head, and cryptic/ camouflaging plumage. The ''Gallinago'' snipes have a ...

dowitcher The three dowitchers are medium-sized long-billed wading birds in the genus ''Limnodromus''. The English name "dowitchers" is from Iroquois, recorded in English by the 1830s. The OED's earliest example is from 1841, but full-text searching giv ...

s, and

phalarope __NOTOC__ A phalarope is any of three living species of slender-necked shorebirds in the genus ''Phalaropus'' of the bird family Scolopacidae. Phalaropes are close relatives of the shanks and tattlers, the ''Actitis'' and Terek sandpipers, a ...

s. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. * Whimbrel, ''Numenius phaeopus'' *

Little curlew The little curlew (''Numenius minutus'') is a wader in the large bird family Scolopacidae. It is a very small curlew, which breeds in the far north of Siberia. It is closely related to the North American Eskimo curlew. The word "curlew" is imit ...

, ''Numenius minutus'' *

Far Eastern curlew The Far Eastern curlew (''Numenius madagascariensis'') is a large shorebird most similar in appearance to the long-billed curlew, but slightly larger. It is mostly brown in color, differentiated from other curlews by its plain, unpatterned brown ...

, ''Numenius madagascariensis'' *

Bar-tailed godwit The bar-tailed godwit (''Limosa lapponica'') is a large and strongly migratory wader in the family Scolopacidae, which feeds on bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal mudflats and estuaries. It has distinctive red breeding plumage, long legs, ...

, ''Limosa lapponica'' * Black-tailed godwit, ''Limosa limosa'' *

Ruddy turnstone The ruddy turnstone (''Arenaria interpres'') is a small cosmopolitan wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus ''Arenaria''. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plov ...

, ''Arenaria interpres'' *

Great knot __NOTOC__ The great knot (''Calidris tenuirostris'') is a small wader. It is the largest of the calidrid species. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside bird ...

, ''Calidris tenuirostris'' *

Red knot The red knot or just knot (''Calidris canutus'') is a medium-sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the '' Calidris'' sandpipers, second only to the ...

, ''Calidris canutus'' *

Ruff Ruff may refer to: Places *Ruff, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community *Ruff, Washington, United States, an unincorporated community Other uses *Ruff (bird) (''Calidris pugnax'' or ''Philomachus pugnax''), a bird in the wader fami ...

, ''Calidris pugnax'' *

Broad-billed sandpiper The broad-billed sandpiper (''Calidris falcinellus'') is a small wading bird. The scientific name is from Latin. The specific name ''falcinella'' is from ''falx, falcis'', "a sickle. Some research suggests that it should rather go into the ge ...

, ''Calidris falcinellus'' *

Sharp-tailed sandpiper The sharp-tailed sandpiper (''Calidris acuminata'') (but see below) is a small wader. Taxonomy A review of data has indicated that this bird should perhaps better be placed into the genus ''Philomachus'' – as ''P. acuminatus'' – which now ...

, ''Calidris acuminata'' *

Curlew sandpiper The curlew sandpiper (''Calidris ferruginea'') is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in south and southeast Asia and in Australia and New Zealand. It is a v ...

, ''Calidris ferruginea'' *

Long-toed stint The long-toed stint (''Calidris subminuta'') is a small wader. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific ''subminuta'' is from Latin ''sub'', ...

, ''Calidris subminuta'' *

Sanderling The sanderling (''Calidris alba'') is a small wading bird. The name derives from Old English ''sand-yrðling'', "sand-ploughman". The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-colou ...

, ''Calidris alba'' *

Dunlin The dunlin (''Calidris alpina'') is a small wader, formerly sometimes separated with the other "stints" in the genus ''Erolia''. The English name is a dialect form of "dunling", first recorded in 1531–1532. It derives from ''dun'', "dull brown ...

, ''Calidris alpina'' (A) *

Little stint The little stint (''Calidris minuta'' or ''Erolia minuta''), is a very small wader. It breeds in arctic Europe and Asia, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to Africa and south Asia. It occasionally is a vagrant to North America a ...

, ''Calidris minuta'' (A) *

Buff-breasted sandpiper The buff-breasted sandpiper (''Calidris subruficollis'') is a small wader, shorebird. The species name ''subruficollis'' is from Latin ''subrufus'', "reddish" (from ''sub'', "somewhat", and ''rufus'', "rufous") and ''collis'', "-necked/-throated" ...

, ''Calidris subruficollis'' (A) *

Pectoral sandpiper The pectoral sandpiper (''Calidris melanotos'') is a small, migratory wader that breeds in North America and Asia, wintering in South America and Oceania. It eats small invertebrates. Its nest, a hole scraped in the ground and with a thick linin ...

, ''Calidris melanotos'' (A) *

Asian dowitcher The Asian dowitcher (''Limnodromus semipalmatus'') is a rare medium-large wader. Description Adults have dark legs and a long straight dark bill, somewhat shorter than that of the long-billed dowitcher. The body is brown on top and reddish under ...

, ''Limnodromus semipalmatus'' (A) *

Latham's snipe Latham's snipe (''Gallinago hardwickii''), also known as the Japanese snipe, is a medium-sized, long-billed, migratory snipe of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. Description The snipe is 29–33 cm long, with a wingspan of 50–54 ...

, ''Gallinago hardwickii'' * Swinhoe's snipe, ''Gallinago megala'' *

Terek sandpiper The Terek sandpiper (''Xenus cinereus'') is a small migratory Palearctic wader species and is the only member of the genus ''Xenus''. It is named after the Terek River which flows into the west of the Caspian Sea, as it was first observed arou ...

, ''Xenus cinereus'' *

Red-necked phalarope The red-necked phalarope (''Phalaropus lobatus''), also known as the northern phalarope and hyperborean phalarope, is a small wader. This phalarope breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. It is migratory, and, unusually for a ...

, ''Phalaropus lobatus'' (A) *

Common sandpiper The common sandpiper (''Actitis hypoleucos'') is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the spotted sandpiper (''A. macularia''), make up the genus ''Actitis''. They are parapatric and replace each other geographic ...

, ''Actitis hypoleucos'' *

Grey-tailed tattler The grey-tailed tattler (''Tringa brevipes'', formerly ''Heteroscelus brevipes''Banks, Richard C.; Cicero, Carla; Dunn, Jon L.; Kratter, Andrew W.; Rasmussen, Pamela C.; Remsen, J. V. Jr.; Rising, James D. & Stotz, Douglas F. (2006):Forty-seventh ...

, ''Tringa brevipes'' *

Wandering tattler The wandering tattler (''Tringa incana''; formerly ''Heteroscelus incanus'': Pereira & Baker, 2005; Banks ''et al.'', 2006), is a medium-sized wading bird. It is similar in appearance to the closely related gray-tailed tattler, ''T. brevipes''. ...

, ''Tringa incana'' *

Common greenshank The common greenshank (''Tringa nebularia'') is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'' ...

, ''Tringa nebularia'' *

Lesser yellowlegs The lesser yellowlegs (''Tringa flavipes'') is a medium-sized shorebird. It breeds in the boreal forest region of North America. Taxonomy The lesser yellowlegs was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in ...

, ''Tringa flavipes'' (A) *

Marsh sandpiper The marsh sandpiper (''Tringa stagnatilis'') is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to the Russian Far East. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name give ...

, ''Tringa stagnatilis'' *

Wood sandpiper The wood sandpiper (''Tringa glareola'') is a small wader. This Eurasian species is the smallest of the shanks, which are mid-sized long-legged waders of the family Scolopacidae. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the gree ...

, ''Tringa glareola'' *

Common redshank The common redshank or simply redshank (''Tringa totanus'') is a Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae. Taxonomy The common redshank was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ...

, ''Tringa totanus'' (A)

Buttonquail

Order:

Family:

Turnicidae Buttonquail or hemipodes are members of a small family of birds, Turnicidae, which resemble, but are unrelated to, the quails of Phasianidae. They inhabit warm grasslands in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. There are 18 species in two genera ...

The buttonquails are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. The female is the brighter of the sexes and initiates courtship. The male incubates the eggs and tends the young. * Red-backed buttonquail, ''Turnix maculosus'' *

Black-breasted buttonquail The black-breasted buttonquail (''Turnix melanogaster'') is a rare buttonquail endemic to eastern Australia. As with other buttonquails, it is unrelated to the true quails. The black-breasted buttonquail is a plump quail-shaped bird in length ...

, ''Turnix melanogaster'' * Buff-breasted buttonquail, ''Turnix olivii'' (E) * Painted buttonquail, ''Turnix varius'' * Red-chested buttonquail, ''Turnix pyrrhothorax'' *

Little buttonquail The little buttonquail (''Turnix velox'') is a species of buttonquail, part of a small family of birds which resemble, but are unrelated to, the true quails. This species is resident in Australia, where it is one of the more common buttonquails. ...

, ''Turnix velox''

Pratincoles and coursers

Order:

Family:

Glareolidae Glareolidae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadrii. It contains two distinct groups, the pratincoles and the coursers. The atypical Egyptian plover (''Pluvianus aegyptius''), traditionally placed in this family, is now known to ...

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the

pratincole The pratincoles or greywaders are a group of birds which together with the coursers make up the family Glareolidae. They have short legs, very long pointed wings and long forked tails. Description Their most unusual feature for birds classed a ...

s, which have short legs, long pointed wings, and long forked tails, and the

courser The coursers are a group of birds which together with the pratincoles make up the family Glareolidae. They have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. Their most unusual feature for birds classed as waders is that ...

s, which have long legs, short wings, and long, pointed bills which curve downwards. *

Australian pratincole The Australian pratincole (''Stiltia isabella'') is a species of bird in the family Glareolidae. It breeds in Australia's interior; it winters to northern and eastern parts of the continent, Indonesia and New Guinea. It is a medium-sized nomadic ...

, ''Stiltia isabella'' *

Oriental pratincole The oriental pratincole (''Glareola maldivarum''), also known as the grasshopper-bird or swallow-plover, is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae. Etymology The genus name is a diminutive of Latin ''glarea'', "gravel", referring to a ty ...

, ''Glareola maldivarum''

Skuas and jaegers

Order:

Family: Stercorariidae The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants. *

South polar skua The south polar skua (''Stercorarius maccormicki'') is a large seabird in the skua family, Stercorariidae. An older name for the bird is MacCormick's skua, after explorer and naval surgeon Robert McCormick, who first collected the type specimen. ...

, ''Stercorarius maccormicki'' (A) *

Brown skua The brown skua (''Stercorarius antarcticus''), also known as the Antarctic skua, subantarctic skua, southern great skua, southern skua, or hākoakoa (Māori), is a large seabird that breeds in the subantarctic and Antarctic zones and moves furthe ...

, ''Stercorarius antarcticus'' *

Pomarine jaeger The pomarine jaeger (''Stercorarius pomarinus''), pomarine skua, or pomatorhine skua, is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. It is a migrant, wintering at sea in the tropical oceans. Taxonomy Its relationships are not fully resolved; i ...

, ''Stercorarius pomarinus'' *

Parasitic jaeger The parasitic jaeger (''Stercorarius parasiticus''), also known as the Arctic skua, Arctic jaeger or parasitic skua, is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. It is a migratory species that breeds in Northern Scandinavia, Scotland, Iceland, ...

, ''Stercorarius parasiticus'' *

Long-tailed jaeger The long-tailed skua or long-tailed jaeger (''Stercorarius longicaudus'') is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. Etymology The word "jaeger" is derived from the German word ''Jäger'', meaning "hunter". The English word "skua" comes fr ...

, ''Stercorarius longicaudus'' (A)

Gulls, terns, and skimmers

Order:

Family:

Laridae Laridae is a family of seabirds in the order Charadriiformes that includes the gulls, terns, skimmers and kittiwakes. It includes around 100 species arranged into 22 genera. They are an adaptable group of mostly aerial birds found worldwide. ...

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the

gull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and only distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century ...

tern Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated as a subgroup of the family Laridae which includes gulls and skimmers and consists of e ...

s, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish. *

Silver gull The silver gull (''Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae'') is the most common gull of Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly at or near coastal areas. It is smaller than the Pacific gull (''Larus pacificus''), which ...

, ''Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae'' *

Black-headed gull The black-headed gull (''Chroicocephalus ridibundus'') is a small gull that breeds in much of the Palearctic including Europe and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory and winters further south, but some birds r ...

, ''Chroicocephalus ridibundus'' (A) *

Laughing gull The laughing gull (''Leucophaeus atricilla'') is a medium-sized gull of North and South America. Named for its laugh-like call, it is an opportunistic omnivore and scavenger. It breeds in large colonies mostly along the Atlantic coast of North Am ...

, ''Leucophaeus atricilla'' (A) *

Franklin's gull Franklin's gull (''Leucophaeus pipixcan'') is a small (length 12.6–14.2 in, 32–36 cm) gull. The genus name ''Leucophaeus'' is from Ancient Greek ''leukos'', "white", and ''phaios'', "dusky". The specific ''pipixcan'' is a Nahuatl name f ...

, ''Leucophaeus pipixcan'' (A) * Black-tailed gull, ''Larus crassirostris'' (A) *

Pacific gull The Pacific gull (''Larus pacificus'') is a very large gull, native to the coasts of Australia. It is moderately common between Carnarvon in the west, and Sydney in the east, although it has become scarce in some parts of the south-east, as a re ...

, ''Larus pacificus'' (A) * Slaty-backed gull, ''Larus schistisagus'' (A) *

Kelp gull The kelp gull (''Larus dominicanus''), also known as the Dominican gull, is a gull that breeds on coasts and islands through much of the Southern Hemisphere. The nominate ''L. d. dominicanus'' is the subspecies found around South America, part ...

, ''Larus dominicanus'' (A) *

Brown noddy The brown noddy or common noddy (''Anous stolidus'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. The largest of the noddies, it can be told from the closely related black noddy by its larger size and plumage, which is dark brown rather than black. The b ...

, ''Anous stolidus'' *

Black noddy The black noddy or white-capped noddy (''Anous minutus'') is a seabird from the family Laridae. It is a medium-sized species of tern with black plumage and a white cap. It closely resembles the lesser noddy (''Anous tenuirostris'') with which it ...

, ''Anous minutus'' *

Grey noddy The grey noddy or grey ternlet (''Anous albivitta'') is a seabird belonging to the family Laridae. It was once regarded as a pale morph of the blue noddy (''Anous cerulea'') but is now usually considered to be a separate species. Taxonomy Th ...

, ''Anous albivitta'' (A) *

White tern The white tern or common white tern (''Gygis alba'') is a small seabird found across the tropical oceans of the world. It is sometimes known as the fairy tern, although this name is potentially confusing as it is also the common name of '' Sternu ...

, ''Gygis alba'' * Sooty tern, ''Onychoprion fuscatus'' *

Bridled tern The bridled tern (''Onychoprion anaethetus'') is a seabird of the family Laridae. It is a bird of the tropical oceans. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus comes from ' meaning "claw" or "nail", and , meaning "saw". The specific ...

, ''Onychoprion anaethetus'' *

Little tern The little tern (''Sternula albifrons'') is a seabird of the family Laridae. It was formerly placed into the genus ''Sterna'', which now is restricted to the large white terns. The genus name is a diminutive of '' Sterna'', "tern". The specific ' ...

, ''Sternula albifrons'' * Australian fairy tern, ''Sternula nereis'' (A) *

Gull-billed tern The gull-billed tern (''Gelochelidon nilotica''), formerly ''Sterna nilotica'', is a tern in the family Laridae. It is widely distributed and breeds in scattered localities in Europe, Asia, northwest Africa, and the Americas. The Australian gull ...

, ''Gelochelidon nilotica'' *

Caspian tern The Caspian tern (''Hydroprogne caspia'') is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no accepted subspecies. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ' ...

, ''Hydroprogne caspia'' *

White-winged tern The white-winged tern, or white-winged black tern (''Chlidonias leucopterus'' or ''Chlidonias leucoptera''), is a species of tern in the family Laridae. It is a small species generally found in or near bodies of fresh water across much of the wo ...

, ''Chlidonias leucopterus'' *

Whiskered tern The whiskered tern (''Chlidonias hybrida'') is a tern in the family Laridae. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''khelidonios'', "swallow-like", from ''khelidon'', "swallow". The specific ''hybridus'' is Latin for ''hybrid''; Peter Simon Palla ...

, ''Chlidonias hybrida'' * Roseate tern, ''Sterna dougallii'' *

White-fronted tern The white-fronted tern (''Sterna striata''), also known as tara, sea swallow, black-billed tern, kahawai bird, southern tern, or swallow tail, was first described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. A medium-sized tern with an all-white body inclu ...

, ''Sterna striata'' *

Black-naped tern The black-naped tern (''Sterna sumatrana'') is an oceanic tern mostly found in tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is rarely found inland. Description The tern is about 30 cm long with a wing length of 21� ...

, ''Sterna sumatrana'' *

Common tern The common tern (''Sterna hirundo'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migrator ...

, ''Sterna hirundo'' * Arctic tern, ''Sterna paradisaea'' (A) * Great crested tern, ''Thalasseus bergii'' *

Lesser crested tern The lesser crested tern (''Thalasseus bengalensis'')Bridge, E. S.; Jones, A. W. & Baker, A. J. (2005)A phylogenetic framework for the terns (Sternini) inferred from mtDNA sequences: implications for taxonomy and plumage evolution. ''Molecular Ph ...

, ''Thalasseus bengalensis''

Tropicbirds

Order:

Phaethontiformes The Phaethontiformes are an order of birds. They contain one extant family, the tropicbirds (Phaethontidae), and one extinct family Prophaethontidae from the early Cenozoic. Several fossil genera have been described. The tropicbirds were tradit ...

Family:

Phaethontidae Tropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic seabirds. They are the sole living representatives of the order Phaethontiformes. For many years they were considered part of the Pelecaniformes, but genetics indicates they are most ...

Tropicbird Tropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic seabirds. They are the sole living representatives of the order Phaethontiformes. For many years they were considered part of the Pelecaniformes, but genetics indicates they are most cl ...

s are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their long wings have black markings, as does the head. *

White-tailed tropicbird The white-tailed tropicbird (''Phaethon lepturus'') is a tropicbird. It is the smallest of three closely related seabirds of the tropical oceans and smallest member of the order Phaethontiformes. It is found in the tropical Atlantic, western P ...

, ''Phaethon lepturus'' * Red-tailed tropicbird, ''Phaethon rubricauda''

Penguins

Order:

Sphenisciformes Penguins (order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapt ...

Family:

Spheniscidae Penguins (order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapte ...

Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Only one species, the little penguin, breeds on the Australian coast. * Little penguin, ''Eudyptula minor''

Albatrosses

Order:

Procellariiformes Procellariiformes is an order (biology), order of seabirds that comprises four family (biology), families: the albatrosses, the Procellariidae, petrels and shearwaters, and two families of storm petrels. Formerly called Tubinares and still call ...

Family:

Diomedeidae Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacif ...

The albatrosses are a family of large seabird found across the Southern and North Pacific Oceans. The largest are among the largest flying birds in the world. * Yellow-nosed albatross, ''Thalassarche chlororhynchos'' *

Grey-headed albatross The grey-headed albatross (''Thalassarche chrysostoma'') also known as the gray-headed mollymawk, is a large seabird from the albatross family. It has a circumpolar distribution, nesting on isolated islands in the Southern Ocean and feeding at h ...

, ''Thalassarche chrysostoma'' (A) * Buller's albatross, ''Thalassarche bulleri'' (A) *

White-capped albatross The white-capped albatross (''Thalassarche cauta steadi'') is a mollymawk that breeds on the islands off of New Zealand. Not all experts agree that this form should be recognized as a separate species from the shy albatross, ''Thalassarche caut ...

, ''Thalassarche cauta'' * Salvin's albatross, ''Thalassarche salvini'' (A) *

Black-browed albatross The black-browed albatross (''Thalassarche melanophris''), also known as the black-browed mollymawk,Robertson, C. J. R. (2003) is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae; it is the most widespread and common member of its family. T ...

, ''Thalassarche melanophris'' *

Sooty albatross The sooty albatross, dark-mantled sooty albatross or dark-mantled albatross,BirdLife International (2008b) (''Phoebetria fusca''), is a species of bird in the albatross family. They breed on sub-Antarctic islands and range at sea across the S ...

, ''Phoebetria fusca'' (A) *

Light-mantled albatross The light-mantled albatross (''Phoebetria palpebrata'') also known as the grey-mantled albatross or the light-mantled sooty albatross, is a small albatross in the genus ''Phoebetria'', which it shares with the sooty albatross. The light-mantled a ...

, ''Phoebetria palpebrata'' (A) * Royal albatross, ''Diomedea epomophora'' *

Wandering albatross The wandering albatross, snowy albatross, white-winged albatross or goonie (''Diomedea exulans'') is a large seabird from the family Diomedeidae, which has a circumpolar range in the Southern Ocean. It was the last species of albatross to be desc ...

, ''Diomedea exulans''

Southern storm-petrels

Order:

Family:

Oceanitidae Austral storm petrels, or southern storm petrels, are seabirds in the family Oceanitidae, part of the order Procellariiformes. These smallest of seabirds feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hove ...

The southern storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the

petrel Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. Description The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group (all except the albatross f ...

s, feeding on

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in water (or air) that are unable to propel themselves against a current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they provide a crucia ...

ic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. Their flight is fluttering and sometimes

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

-like. *

Wilson's storm-petrel Wilson's storm petrel (''Oceanites oceanicus''), also known as Wilson's petrel, is a small seabird of the austral storm petrel family Oceanitidae. It is one of the most abundant bird species in the world and has a circumpolar distribution mainly ...

, ''Oceanites oceanicus'' *

White-faced storm-petrel The white-faced storm petrel (''Pelagodroma marina''), also known as white-faced petrel is a small seabird of the austral storm petrel family Oceanitidae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Pelagodroma''. Description The white-faced ...

, ''Pelagodroma marina'' *

White-bellied storm-petrel The white-bellied storm petrel (''Fregetta grallaria'') is a species of seabird in the family Oceanitidae. It is found in Angola, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Maldives, Namibia, Ne ...

, ''Fregetta grallaria'' (A) * New Zealand storm-petrel, ''Fregetta maoriana'' (A) * Black-bellied storm-petrel, ''Fregetta tropica'' (A) * Polynesian storm-petrel, ''Nesofregetta fuliginosa'' (A)

Northern storm-petrels

Order:

Family:

Hydrobatidae Northern storm petrels are seabirds in the genus ''Hydrobates'' in the family Hydrobatidae, part of the order Procellariiformes. The family was once lumped with the similar austral storm petrels in the combined storm petrels, but have been split ...

Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family. *

Leach's storm-petrel Leach's storm petrel or Leach's petrel (''Hydrobates leucorhous'') is a small seabird of the tubenose order. It is named after the British zoologist William Elford Leach. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek. ''Hydrobates'' is from ...

, ''Hydrobates leucorhous'' (A) * Band-rumped storm-petrel, ''Hydrobates castro'' (A) * Matsudaira's storm-petrel, ''Hydrobates matsudairae''

Shearwaters and petrels

Order:

Family:

Procellariidae The family Procellariidae is a group of seabirds that comprises the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the diving petrels, the prions, and the shearwaters. This family is part of the bird order Procellariiformes (or tubenoses), which als ...

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium

nasal septum The nasal septum () separates the left and right airways of the nasal cavity, dividing the two nostrils. It is depressed by the depressor septi nasi muscle. Structure The fleshy external end of the nasal septum is called the columella or co ...

, and a long outer functional primary flight feather. *

Southern giant-petrel The southern giant petrel (''Macronectes giganteus''), also known as the Antarctic giant petrel, giant fulmar, stinker, and stinkpot, is a large seabird of the southern oceans. Its distribution overlaps broadly with the similar northern giant pet ...

, ''Macronectes giganteus'' *

Northern giant-petrel The northern giant petrel (''Macronectes halli''), also known as Hall's giant petrel, is a large predatory seabird of the southern oceans. Its distribution overlaps broadly, but is slightly north of, the similar southern giant petrel (''Macrone ...

, ''Macronectes halli'' (A) *

Southern fulmar The southern fulmar (''Fulmarus glacialoides'') is a seabird of the Southern Hemisphere. Along with the northern fulmar, ''F. glacialis'', it belongs to the fulmar genus ''Fulmarus'' in the family Procellariidae, the true petrels. It is also kno ...

, ''Fulmarus glacialoides'' (A) * Cape petrel, ''Daption capense'' *

Great-winged petrel The great-winged petrel (''Pterodroma macroptera'') is a petrel. Taxonomy This species was formerly treated as containing two subspecies - ''P. m. macroptera'' and ''P. m. gouldi'', the latter of which is endemic to New Zealand. As of 2014, th ...

, ''Pterodroma macroptera'' *

Grey-faced petrel The grey-faced petrel (''Pterodroma gouldi'') is a petrel endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. In New Zealand it is also known by its Māori name and (along with other species such as the sooty shearwater) as a muttonbird. Taxonomy Th ...

, ''Pterodroma gouldi'' (A) *

Kermadec petrel The Kermadec petrel (''Pterodroma neglecta'') is a species of gadfly petrel in the family Procellariidae. It is 38 cm long with a wingspan of 100 cm. It is polymorphic, with light, dark and intermediate morphs known. It eats squid, fis ...

, ''Pterodroma neglecta'' *

Herald petrel The Herald petrel (''Pterodroma heraldica'') is a species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels. Its range includes the south Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. Description The bird is in size, with an wingspan. It was formerly considere ...

, ''Pterodroma heraldica'' (A) * Providence petrel, ''Pterodroma solandri'' *

Soft-plumaged petrel The soft-plumaged petrel (''Pterodroma mollis'') is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. Distribution It breeds on islands in the Southern Hemisphere, nesting on Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, the Prince Edward Islands, Crozet ...

, ''Pterodroma mollis'' (A) *

White-headed petrel The white-headed petrel (''Pterodroma lessonii''), also known as the white-headed fulmar, is a species of seabird in the petrel family, Procellariidae. It is about in length. White-headed petrels breed alone or in colonies in burrows dug among ...

, ''Pterodroma lessonii'' (A) *

Mottled petrel The mottled petrel (''Pterodroma inexpectata'') or kōrure is a species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels. It usually attains in length with a wingspan. This species is highly pelagic, rarely approaching land, except to nest and r ...

, ''Pterodroma inexpectata'' (A) * Juan Fernandez petrel, ''Pterodroma externa'' (A) *

White-necked petrel The white-necked petrel (''Pterodroma cervicalis''), also known as the white-naped petrel, is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. During the non-breeding season it occurs throughout a large part of the Pacific, but it is only known ...

, ''Pterodroma cervicalis'' *

Black-winged petrel The black-winged petrel (''Pterodroma nigripennis'') is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. It breeds on a number of oceanic islands in the tropical and subtropical East Pacific Ocean and spends the rest of the year at sea. Descr ...

, ''Pterodroma nigripennis'' * Cook's petrel, ''Pterodroma cookii'' (A) * Gould's petrel, ''Pterodroma leucoptera'' (A) * Collared petrel, ''Pterodroma brevipes'' (A) * Stejneger's petrel, ''Pterodroma longirostris'' (A) *

Fairy prion The fairy prion (''Pachyptila turtur'') is a small seabird with the standard prion plumage of blue-grey upperparts with a prominent dark "M" marking and white underneath. The sexes are alike. This is a small prion of the low subantarctic and sub ...

, ''Pachyptila turtur'' *

Broad-billed prion The broad-billed prion (''Pachyptila vittata'') is a small pelagic seabird in the shearwater and petrel family, Procellariidae. It is the largest prion, with grey upperparts plumage, and white underparts. The sexes are alike. It ranges from the ...

, ''Pachyptila vittata'' (A) *

Salvin's prion Salvin's prion (''Pachyptila salvini''), also known as the medium-billed prion, is a species of seabird in the petrel family Procellariidae. Taxonomy Salvin's prion is a member of the genus ''Pachyptila'', and along with the blue petrel, they ma ...

, ''Pachyptila salvini'' *

Antarctic prion The Antarctic prion (''Pachyptila desolata'') also known as the dove prion, or totorore in Māori, is the largest of the prions, a genus of small petrels of the Southern Ocean. Taxonomy The Antarctic prion was formally described in 1789 by ...

, ''Pachyptila desolata'' (A) *

Slender-billed prion The slender-billed prion (''Pachyptila belcheri'') or thin-billed prion, is a species of petrel, a seabird in the family Procellariidae. It is found in the southern oceans. Taxonomy The slender-billed prion was species description, formally ...

, ''Pachyptila belcheri'' (A) *

Bulwer's petrel Bulwer's petrel (''Bulweria bulwerii'') is a small petrel in the family Procellariidae that is found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is named after the English naturalist James Bulwer. Taxonomy ...

, ''Bulweria bulwerii'' (A) * Tahiti petrel, ''Pseudobulweria rostrata'' *

White-chinned petrel The white-chinned petrel (''Procellaria aequinoctialis'') also known as the Cape hen and shoemaker, is a large shearwater in the family Procellariidae. It ranges around the Southern Ocean as far north as southern Australia, Peru and Namibia, and ...

, ''Procellaria aequinoctialis'' (A) * Parkinson's petrel, ''Procellaria parkinsoni'' (A) * Westland petrel, ''Procellaria westlandica'' (A) *

Streaked shearwater The streaked shearwater (''Calonectris leucomelas'') is a species of seabird. The adult bird averages in length, with a wingspan. Description The streaked shearwater feeds mainly on fish and squid. It follows fishing boats, attracted to anch ...

, ''Calonectris leucomelas'' *

Flesh-footed shearwater The flesh-footed shearwater (''Ardenna carneipes''; formerly ''Puffinus carneipes'') is a medium-sized shearwater. Its plumage is black. It has pale pinkish feet, and a pale bill with a distinct black tip. Together with the equally light-billed p ...

, ''Ardenna carneipes'' *

Wedge-tailed shearwater The wedge-tailed shearwater (''Ardenna pacifica'') is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It is one of the shearwater species that is sometimes referred to as a muttonbird, like the sooty shearwater of New Zealand and ...

, ''Ardenna pacifica'' *

Buller's shearwater Buller's shearwater (''Ardenna bulleri'') is a Pacific species of seabird in the family Procellariidae; it is also known as the grey-backed shearwater or New Zealand shearwater. A member of the black-billed wedge-tailed ''Thyellodroma'' group, a ...

, ''Ardenna bulleri'' *

Sooty shearwater The sooty shearwater (''Ardenna grisea'') is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. In New Zealand, it is also known by its Māori name , and as muttonbird, like its relatives the wedge-tailed shearwater (''A. pacificus ...

, ''Ardenna grisea'' * Short-tailed shearwater, ''Ardenna tenuirostris'' * Hutton's shearwater, ''Puffinus huttoni'' * Fluttering shearwater, ''Puffinus gavia'' *

Little shearwater The little shearwater (''Puffinus assimilis'') is a small shearwater in the petrel family Procellariidae. Despite the generic name, it is unrelated to the puffins, which are auks, the only similarity being that they are both burrow-nesting s ...

, ''Puffinus assimilis'' (A) *

Tropical shearwater The tropical shearwater (''Puffinus bailloni'') is a seabird in the family Procellariidae formerly considered conspecific with Audubon's shearwater (''Puffinus lherminieri''). Subspecies There are five listed subspecies of the tropical shearwa ...

, ''Puffinus bailloni'' (A) *

Common diving-petrel The common diving petrel (''Pelecanoides urinatrix''), also known as the smaller diving petrel or simply the diving petrel, is a diving petrel, one of four very similar auk-like small petrels of the southern oceans. It is native to South Atlanti ...

, ''Pelecanoides urinatrix'' (A)

Storks

Order:

Ciconiiformes Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons a ...

Family: Ciconiidae Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. *

Black-necked stork The black-necked stork (''Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus'') is a tall long-necked wading bird in the stork family. It is a resident species across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia with a disjunct population in Australia. It lives in wetlan ...

, ''Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus''

Frigatebirds

Order:

Suliformes The order Suliformes (, dubbed "Phalacrocoraciformes" by ''Christidis & Boles 2008'') is an order recognised by the International Ornithologist's Union. In regard to the recent evidence that the traditional Pelecaniformes is polyphyletic, it has ...

Family:

Fregatidae Frigatebirds are a family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, ''Fregata''. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked ...

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black, or black-and-white, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week. *

Lesser frigatebird The lesser frigatebird (''Fregata ariel'') is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. At around 75 cm (30 in) in length, it is the smallest species of frigatebird. It occurs over tropical and subtropical waters across the Indian ...

, ''Fregata ariel'' * Great frigatebird, ''Fregata minor''

Boobies and gannets

Order:

Family:

Sulidae The bird family Sulidae comprises the gannets and boobies. Collectively called sulids, they are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and similar prey. The 10 species in this family are often considered congeneric in older ...

The sulids comprise the

gannet Gannets are seabirds comprising the genus ''Morus'' in the family Sulidae, closely related to boobies. Gannets are large white birds with yellowish heads; black-tipped wings; and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the ...

s and

boobies A booby is a seabird in the genus ''Sula'', part of the family Sulidae. Boobies are closely related to the gannets (''Morus''), which were formerly included in ''Sula''. Systematics and evolution The genus ''Sula'' was introduced by the Fren ...

. Both groups are medium-large coastal

seabird Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same enviro ...

s that plunge-dive for fish. *

Masked booby The masked booby (''Sula dactylatra''), also called the masked gannet or the blue-faced booby, is a large seabird of the booby and gannet family, Sulidae. First described by the French naturalist René-Primevère Lesson in 1831, the masked boo ...

, ''Sula dactylatra'' * Brown booby, ''Sula leucogaster'' * Red-footed booby, ''Sula sula'' *

Australasian gannet The Australasian gannet (''Morus serrator''), also known as the Australian gannet or tākapu, is a large seabird of the booby and gannet family, Sulidae. Adults are mostly white, with black flight feathers at the wingtips and lining the trailin ...

, ''Morus serrator''

Anhingas

Order:

Family: Anhingidae Anhingas or darters are cormorant-like water birds with long necks and long, straight bills. They are fish eaters which often swim with only their neck above the water. *

Australasian darter The Australasian darter or Australian darter (''Anhinga novaehollandiae'') is a species of bird in the darter family, Anhingidae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It weighs around 2.6 kg and spans 86–94 cm ( ...

, ''Anhinga novaehollandiae''

Cormorants and shags

Order:

Family:

Phalacrocoracidae Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the IOC adopted a consensus taxonomy of seven gen ...

Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of coloured skin on the face. The bill is long, thin and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed, a distinguishing feature among the order Pelecaniformes. *

Little pied cormorant The little pied cormorant, little shag or kawaupaka (''Microcarbo melanoleucos'') is a common Australasian waterbird, found around the coasts, islands, estuaries, and inland waters of Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapo ...

, ''Microcarbo melanoleucos'' *

Great cormorant The great cormorant (''Phalacrocorax carbo''), known as the black shag in New Zealand and formerly also known as the great black cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the black cormorant in Australia, and the large cormorant in India, is a w ...

, ''Phalacrocorax carbo'' * Little black cormorant, ''Phalacrocorax sulcirostris'' *

Pied cormorant The Australian pied cormorant (''Phalacrocorax varius''), also known as the pied cormorant, pied shag, or great pied cormorant, is a medium-sized member of the cormorant family. It is found around the coasts of Australasia. In New Zealand, it ...

, ''Phalacrocorax varius''

Pelicans

Order:

Pelecaniformes The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such n ...

Family:

Pelecanidae The Pelecanidae is a family of pelecaniform birds within the Pelecani that contains two genera: the extinct ''Eopelecanus'' and the extant '' Pelecanus''. The family was monotypic until the description of ''Eopelecanus'' in 2021. Pelecanids ha ...

Pelicans are large water birds with distinctive pouches under their bills. Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes. *

Australian pelican The Australian pelican (''Pelecanus conspicillatus'') is a large waterbird in the family Pelecanidae, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, also in Fiji, parts of Indonesia and as a vagrant in New Zealand ...

, ''Pelecanus conspicillatus''

Herons, egrets, and bitterns

Order:

Family:

Ardeidae The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychu ...

The family Ardeidae contains the

bittern Bitterns are birds belonging to the subfamily Botaurinae of the heron family Ardeidae. Bitterns tend to be shorter-necked and more secretive than other members of the family. They were called ''hæferblæte'' in Old English; the word "bittern ...

s, herons, and

egret Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build ...

s. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills. *

Australasian bittern The Australasian bittern (''Botaurus poiciloptilus''), also known as the brown bittern or matuku hūrepo, and also nicknamed the "bunyip bird", is a large bird in the heron family Ardeidae. A secretive bird with a distinctive booming call, it is ...

, ''Botaurus poiciloptilus'' *

Yellow bittern The yellow bittern (''Ixobrychus sinensis'') is a small bittern. It is of Old World origins, breeding in the northern Indian Subcontinent, east to the Russian Far East, Japan and Indonesia. It is mainly resident, but some northern birds migrate ...

, ''Ixobrychus sinensis'' (A) *

Black-backed bittern The black-backed bittern (''Ixobrychus dubius''), also known as the black-backed least bittern or Australian little bittern, is a little-known species of heron in the family Ardeidae found in Australia and vagrant to southern New Guinea. Former ...

, ''Ixobrychus dubius'' *

Black bittern The black bittern (''Ixobrychus flavicollis'') is a bittern of Old World origin, breeding in tropical Asia from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka east to China, Indonesia, and Australia. It is mainly resident, but some northern birds mi ...

, ''Ixobrychus flavicollis'' * Pacific heron, ''Ardea pacifica'' *

Great-billed heron The great-billed heron (''Ardea sumatrana'') is a wading bird of the heron family, resident from southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and Australia. Description left, Juvenile The great-billed heron is a large bird, typically standing tall and ...

, ''Ardea sumatrana'' *

Great egret The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and ...

, ''Ardea alba'' *

Intermediate egret The intermediate egret, median egret, smaller egret, or yellow-billed egret (''Ardea intermedia'') is a medium-sized heron. Some taxonomists put the species in the genus '' Egretta'' or ''Mesophoyx''. It is a resident breeder from east Africa a ...

, ''Ardea intermedia'' *

White-faced heron The white-faced heron (''Egretta novaehollandiae'') also known as the white-fronted heron, and incorrectly as the grey heron, or blue crane, is a common bird throughout most of Australasia, including New Guinea, the islands of Torres Strait, Ind ...

, ''Egretta novaehollandiae'' * Little egret, ''Egretta garzetta'' *

Pacific reef-heron The Pacific reef heron (''Egretta sacra''), also known as the eastern reef heron or eastern reef egret, is a species of heron found throughout southern Asia and Oceania. It occurs in two colour morphs with either slaty grey or pure white pluma ...

, ''Egretta sacra'' *

Pied heron The pied heron (''Egretta picata''), also known as the pied egret is a bird found in coastal and subcoastal areas of monsoonal northern Australia as well as some parts of Wallacea and New Guinea. Taxonomy The species was originally described by ...

, ''Egretta picata'' *

Cattle egret The cattle egret (''Bubulcus ibis'') is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Bubulcus'', although some authorities regard ...

, ''Bubulcus ibis'' *

Striated heron The striated heron (''Butorides striata'') also known as mangrove heron, little green heron or green-backed heron, is a small heron, about 44 cm tall. Striated herons are mostly sedentary and noted for some interesting behavioral traits. The ...

, ''Butorides striata'' * Nankeen night-heron, ''Nycticorax caledonicus''

Ibises and spoonbills

Order:

Family:

Threskiornithidae The family Threskiornithidae includes 36 species of large wading birds. The family has been traditionally classified into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills; however recent genetic studies have cast doubt on this arrangement, and ha ...

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the

ibis The ibises () (collective plural ibis; classical plurals ibides and ibes) are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word ...

es and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers. *

Glossy ibis The glossy ibis (''Plegadis falcinellus'') is a water bird in the order Pelecaniformes and the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The scientific name derives from Ancient Greek ''plegados'' and Latin, ''falcis'', both meaning "sickle" a ...

, ''Plegadis falcinellus'' * Australian ibis, ''Threskiornis moluccus'' * Straw-necked ibis, ''Threskiornis spinicollis'' *

Royal spoonbill The royal spoonbill (''Platalea regia'') also known as the black-billed spoonbill, occurs in intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. (In New Z ...

, ''Platalea regia'' * Yellow-billed spoonbill, ''Platalea flavipes''

Osprey

Order:

Accipitriformes The Accipitriformes (; from Latin ''accipiter''/''accipitri-'' "hawk", and New Latin ''-formes'' "having the form of") are an order of birds that includes most of the diurnal birds of prey, including hawks, eagles, vultures, and kites, but not f ...

Family:

Pandionidae ''Pandion'' is a genus of birds of prey, known as ospreys, the only genus of family Pandionidae. Most taxonomic treatments have regarded this genus as describing a single extant species, separated to subspecies or races, while some treatments rec ...

The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large

raptor Raptor or RAPTOR may refer to: Animals The word "raptor" refers to several groups of bird-like dinosaurs which primarily capture and subdue/kill prey with their talons. * Raptor (bird) or bird of prey, a bird that primarily hunts and feeds on ...

which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution. *

Osprey The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...

, ''Pandion haliaetus''

Hawks, eagles, and kites

Order:

Family:

Accipitridae The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-s ...

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks,

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...

kites A kite is a tethered heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create lift and drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have a bridle and tail to guide the face ...

, harriers and

Old World vulture Old World vultures are vultures that are found in the Old World, i.e. the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, and which belong to the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, buzzards, kites, and hawks. Old World vultures are not cl ...

s. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight. * Black-shouldered kite, ''Elanus axillaris'' *

Letter-winged kite The letter-winged kite (''Elanus scriptus'') is a small, rare and Irruptive growth, irruptive bird of prey that is endemism, found only in Australia. Measuring around in length with a wingspan of , the adult letter-winged kite has predominantl ...

, ''Elanus scriptus'' * Black-breasted kite, ''Hamirostra melanosternon'' *

Square-tailed kite The square-tailed kite (''Lophoictinia isura'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers. Taxonomy German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup descr ...

, ''Lophoictinia isura'' * Pacific baza, ''Aviceda subcristata'' *

Little eagle The little eagle (''Hieraaetus morphnoides'') is a very small eagle native to Australia, measuring 45–55 cm (17–21.5 inches) in length and weighing 815 g (1.8 lb), roughly the size of a peregrine falcon. It tends to inhabit open wo ...

, ''Hieraaetus morphnoides'' *

Gurney's eagle Gurney's eagle (''Aquila gurneyi'') is a large eagle in the family Accipitridae. It is found in New Guinea and Wallacea, and is an occasional vagrant to Australia. The common name and Latin binomial commemorate the British banker and amateur or ...

, ''Aquila gurneyi'' (A) *

Wedge-tailed eagle The wedge-tailed eagle (''Aquila audax'') is the largest bird of prey in the continent of Australia. It is also found in southern New Guinea to the north and is distributed as far south as the state of Tasmania. Adults of this species have lon ...

, ''Aquila audax'' *

Swamp harrier The swamp harrier (''Circus approximans''), also known as the Australasian marsh harrier, Australasian harrier or swamp-hawk, is a large, slim bird of prey widely distributed across Australasia. In New Zealand it is also known as the harrier haw ...

, ''Circus approximans'' *

Spotted harrier The spotted harrier (''Circus assimilis'') also known as the smoke hawk, is a large Australasian bird of prey belonging to the family Accipitridae. Taxonomy The spotted harrier belongs to the family Accipitridae. Accipitridae is the largest fami ...

, ''Circus assimilis'' *

Grey goshawk The grey goshawk (''Accipiter novaehollandiae'') is a strongly built, medium-sized bird of prey in the family ''Accipitridae'' that is found in eastern and northern Australia. The white morph of this species is known as the white goshawk. Tax ...

, ''Accipiter novaehollandiae'' *

Brown goshawk The brown goshawk (''Accipiter fasciatus'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found in Australia and surrounding islands. Description Its upperparts are grey with a chestnut collar; its underparts are mainly rufous, f ...

, ''Accipiter fasciatus'' *

Collared sparrowhawk The collared sparrowhawk (''Accipiter cirrocephalus'') is a small, slim bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found in Australia, New Guinea and nearby smaller islands. As its name implies the collared sparrowhawk is a specialist in hunting sm ...

, ''Accipiter cirrocephalus'' *

Red goshawk The red goshawk (''Erythrotriorchis radiatus'') is probably the rarest Australian bird of prey. It is found mainly in the savanna woodlands of northern Australia, particularly near watercourses. It takes a broad range of live prey, mostly birds. ...

, ''Erythrotriorchis radiatus'' *

Black kite The black kite (''Milvus migrans'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have ...

, ''Milvus migrans'' *

Whistling kite The whistling kite (''Haliastur sphenurus'') is a medium-sized diurnal raptor found throughout Australia (including coastal islands), New Caledonia and much of New Guinea (excluding the central mountains and the northwest). Also called the whistl ...

, ''Haliastur sphenurus'' *

Brahminy kite The brahminy kite (''Haliastur indus''), formerly known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harrie ...

, ''Haliastur indus'' *

White-bellied sea-eagle The white-bellied sea eagle (''Haliaeetus leucogaster''), also known as the white-breasted sea eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related t ...

, ''Haliaeetus leucogaster''

Barn-owls

Order: StrigiformesFamily:

Tytonidae Barn-owls (family Tytonidae) are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls or typical owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs wit ...

Barn-owls Barn-owls (family Tytonidae) are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls or typical owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with p ...

are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. *

Sooty owl The greater sooty owl (''Tyto tenebricosa'') is a medium to large owl found in south-eastern Australia, Montane rainforests of New Guinea and have been seen on Flinders Island in the Bass Strait. The lesser sooty owl (''T. multipunctata'') ...

, ''Tyto tenebricosa'' * Australian masked-owl, ''Tyto novaehollandiae'' * Australasian grass-owl, ''Tyto longimembris'' * Barn owl, ''Tyto alba''

Owls

Order: StrigiformesFamily:

Strigidae The true owls or typical owls (family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls (Tytonidae). This large family comprises 230 living or recently extinct species in 24 genera. The typical owl ...

The

typical owl The true owls or typical owls (family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls (Tytonidae). This large family comprises 230 living or recently extinct species in 24 genera. The typical owl ...

s are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk. * Rufous owl, ''Ninox rufa'' *

Powerful owl The powerful owl (''Ninox strenua''), a species of owl native to south-eastern and eastern Australia, is the largest owl on the continent. It is found in coastal areas and in the Great Dividing Range, rarely more than inland. The IUCNRed List ...

, ''Ninox strenua'' *

Barking owl The barking owl (''Ninox connivens''), also known as the winking owl, is a nocturnal bird species native to mainland Australia and parts of New Guinea and the Moluccas. They are a medium-sized brown owl and have a characteristic voice with ca ...

, ''Ninox connivens'' *

Southern boobook The Australian boobook (''Ninox boobook''), which is known in some regions as the mopoke, is a species of owl native to mainland Australia, southern New Guinea, the island of Timor, and the Sunda Islands. Described by John Latham in 1801, it w ...

, ''Ninox boobook'' *

Morepork The morepork (''Ninox novaeseelandiae''), also called the ruru, is a small brown owl found in New Zealand, Norfolk Island and formerly Lord Howe Island. The bird has almost 20 alternative common names, including mopoke and boobook—many of t ...

, ''Ninox novaeseelandiae''

Kingfishers

Order:

Coraciiformes The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colourful birds including the kingfishers, the bee-eaters, the rollers, the motmots, and the todies. They generally have syndactyly, with three forward-pointing toes (and toes 3 & 4 fused at their base) ...

Family: Alcedinidae Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. *

Azure kingfisher The azure kingfisher (''Ceyx azureus'') is a small kingfisher in the river kingfisher subfamily, Alcedininae.Pizzey, Graham and Doyle, Roy. (1980) ''A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia.'' Collins Publishers, Sydney. Description The azure ...

, ''Ceyx azureus'' *

Little kingfisher The little kingfisher (''Ceyx pusillus'') is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Alcedininae. Taxonomy The first formal description of the little kingfisher was by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1836 under the current binom ...

, ''Ceyx pusillus'' *

Laughing kookaburra The laughing kookaburra (''Dacelo novaeguineae'') is a bird in the kingfisher subfamily Halcyoninae. It is a large robust kingfisher with a whitish head and a brown eye-stripe. The upperparts are mostly dark brown but there is a mottled light ...

, ''Dacelo novaeguineae'' *

Blue-winged kookaburra The blue-winged kookaburra (''Dacelo leachii'') is a large species of kingfisher native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea. Measuring around , it is slightly smaller than the more familiar laughing kookaburra. It has cream-coloured u ...

, ''Dacelo leachii'' *

Red-backed kingfisher The red-backed kingfisher (''Todiramphus pyrrhopygius'') is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily tree kingfisher, Halcyoninae, also known as tree kingfishers. It is a predominantly blue-green and white bird with a chestnut rump. It is found a ...

, ''Todiramphus pyrrhopygius'' *

Forest kingfisher The forest kingfisher (''Todiramphus macleayii''), also known as Macleay's or the blue kingfisher, is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Halcyoninae, also known as tree kingfishers. It is a predominantly blue and white bird. It is found in ...

, ''Todiramphus macleayii'' * Torresian kingfisher, ''Todiramphus sordidus'' *

Sacred kingfisher The sacred kingfisher (''Todiramphus sanctus'') is a medium-sized woodland kingfisher that occurs in mangroves, woodlands, forests and river valleys in Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the western Pacific. Taxonomy The binomial name ''H ...

, ''Todiramphus sanctus'' * Yellow-billed kingfisher, ''Syma torotoro'' * Little paradise-kingfisher, ''Tanysiptera hydrocharis'' (A) * Buff-breasted paradise-kingfisher, ''Tanysiptera sylvia''

Bee-eaters

Order:

Family:

Meropidae The bee-eaters are a group of non-passerine birds in the family Meropidae, containing three genera and thirty species. Most species are found in Africa and Asia, with a few in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by ...

The bee-eaters are a group of

near passerine Near passerines and higher land-bird assemblage are terms of traditional, pre-cladistic taxonomy that have often been given to tree-dwelling birds or those most often believed to be related to the true passerines (order Passeriformes) owing to mor ...

birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar. *

Rainbow bee-eater The rainbow bee-eater (''Merops ornatus'') is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. Taxonomy The rainbow bee-eater is the only species of Meropidae found in Australia and is monotypic. Its closest relative is most likely th ...

, ''Merops ornatus''

Rollers

Order:

Family:

Coraciidae Coraciidae is a family of Old World birds, which is known as rollers because of the aerial acrobatics some of these birds perform during courtship or territorial flights. Rollers resemble crows in size and build, and share the colourful appeara ...

Rollers resemble

crow A crow is a bird of the genus '' Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifica ...

s in size and build, but are more closely related to the

kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

s and

bee-eater The bee-eaters are a group of non-passerine birds in the family Meropidae, containing three genera and thirty species. Most species are found in Africa and Asia, with a few in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by ...

s. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not. *

Dollarbird The Oriental dollarbird (''Eurystomus orientalis'') is a bird of the roller family, so named because of the distinctive pale blue or white, coin-shaped spots on its wings. It can be found from Australia to Korea, Japan and India. Taxonomy The Or ...

, ''Eurystomus orientalis''

Falcons and caracaras

Order:

Falconiformes The order Falconiformes () is represented by the extant family Falconidae (falcons and caracaras) and a handful of enigmatic Paleogene species. Traditionally, the other bird of prey families Cathartidae (New World vultures and condors), Sagitt ...

Family: Falconidae Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons. *

Nankeen kestrel The nankeen kestrel (''Falco cenchroides''), also known as the Australian kestrel, is a raptor native to Australia and New Guinea. It is one of the smallest falcons, and unlike many, does not rely on speed to catch its prey. Instead, it simply pe ...

, ''Falco cenchroides'' *

Australian hobby The Australian hobby (''Falco longipennis''), also known as the little falcon, is one of six Australian members of the family Falconidae. This predominantly diurnal bird of prey derives its name ‘''longipennis''’ from its long primary wing f ...

, ''Falco longipennis'' * Brown falcon, ''Falco berigora'' *

Grey falcon The grey falcon (''Falco hypoleucos'') is a medium-sized falcon native to Australia, possibly the rarest. It is uncommon throughout its range and is currently classified as Vulnerable. Taxonomy The description of the species was published by ...

, ''Falco hypoleucos'' *

Black falcon The black falcon (''Falco subniger'') is a medium-large falcon that is endemic to Australia. It can be found in all mainland states and territories and yet is regarded as Australia's most under-studied falcon.Debus, S.J.S. & Olsen, J. (2011). So ...

, ''Falco subniger'' * Peregrine falcon, ''Falco peregrinus''

Cockatoos

Order: PsittaciformesFamily:

Cacatuidae A cockatoo is any of the 21 parrot species belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea (true parrots) and the Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up the orde ...

The cockatoos share many features with other parrots including the characteristic curved beak shape and a

zygodactyl In biology, dactyly is the arrangement of digits (fingers and toes) on the hands, feet, or sometimes wings of a tetrapod animal. It comes from the Greek word δακτυλος (''dáktylos'') = "finger". Sometimes the ending "-dactylia" is use ...

foot, with two forward toes and two backwards toes. They differ, however in a number of characteristics, including the often spectacular movable headcrest. * Palm cockatoo, ''Probosciger aterrimus'' *

Red-tailed black-cockatoo The red-tailed black cockatoo (''Calyptorhynchus banksii'') also known as Banksian- or Banks' black cockatoo, is a large black cockatoo native to Australia. Adult males have a characteristic pair of bright red panels on the tail that gives ...

, ''Calyptorhynchus banksii'' *

Glossy black-cockatoo The glossy black cockatoo (''Calyptorhynchus lathami''), is the smallest member of the subfamily Calyptorhynchinae found in eastern Australia. Adult glossy black cockatoos may reach in length. They are sexually dimorphic. Males are blackish bro ...

, ''Calyptorhynchus lathami'' * Yellow-tailed black-cockatoo, ''Calyptorhynchus funereus'' *

Pink cockatoo Major Mitchell's cockatoo (''Lophochroa leadbeateri''), also known as Leadbeater's cockatoo or the pink cockatoo, is a medium-sized cockatoo that inhabits arid and semi-arid inland areas of Australia, though it is seen regularly in other clima ...

, ''Lophochroa leadbeateri'' *

Galah The galah (; ''Eolophus roseicapilla''), also known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is the only species within genus ''Eolophus'' of the cockatoo family. Found throughout Australia, it is among the most common of the c ...

, ''Eolophus roseicapilla'' *

Long-billed corella The long-billed corella or slender-billed corella (''Cacatua tenuirostris'') is a cockatoo native to Australia, which is similar in appearance to the little corella. This species is mostly white, with a reddish-pink face and forehead, and has a lo ...

, ''Cacatua tenuirostris'' (I) *

Little corella The little corella (''Cacatua sanguinea''), also known as the short-billed corella, bare-eyed cockatoo, blood-stained cockatoo, and little cockatoo is a white cockatoo native to Australia and southern New Guinea. It was known as ''Birdirra'' amo ...

, ''Cacatua sanguinea'' *

Sulphur-crested cockatoo The sulphur-crested cockatoo (''Cacatua galerita'') is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being ...

, ''Cacatua galerita'' *

Cockatiel The cockatiel (; ''Nymphicus hollandicus''), also known as weiro (also spelt weero), or quarrion, is a medium-sized parrot that is a member of its own branch of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia. They are prized as household pets and com ...

, ''Nymphicus hollandicus''

Old World parrots

Order: PsittaciformesFamily:

Psittaculidae Psittaculidae is a family containing Old World parrots. It consists of five subfamilies: Agapornithinae, Loriinae, Platycercinae, Psittacellinae and Psittaculinae. This family has been accepted into ''The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World' ...

Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed

feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. In size they range from to in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand. * Superb parrot, ''Polytelis swainsonii'' (A) * Australian king-parrot, ''Alisterus scapularis'' *

Red-winged parrot The red-winged parrot (''Aprosmictus erythropterus'') is a parrot native to Australia and New Guinea. It is found in grasslands, savannah, farmland, and woodland. Taxonomy The red-winged parrot was formally described in 1788 by the German natur ...

, ''Aprosmictus erythropterus'' *

Eclectus parrot The eclectus parrot (''Eclectus roratus'') is a parrot native to the Solomon Islands, Sumba, New Guinea and nearby islands, northeastern Australia, and the Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is unusual in the parrot family for its extreme sexual dimor ...

, ''Eclectus roratus'' *

Red-cheeked parrot The red-cheeked parrot (''Geoffroyus geoffroyi'') is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the tip of northern Australia. There are 17 subspecies currently recognized. It is a stocky short-tail ...

, ''Geoffroyus geoffroyi'' *

Ground parrot The genus ''Pezoporus'' contains three Australian species: the night parrot (''Pezoporus occidentalis'') and the cryptic ground parrots, the eastern ground parrot (''Pezoporus wallicus'') and the western ground parrot (''Pezoporus flaviventris' ...

, ''Pezoporus wallicus'' *

Night parrot The night parrot (''Pezoporus occidentalis'') is a small parrot endemic to the continent of Australia. It has also been known as porcupine parrot, nocturnal ground parakeet, midnight cockatoo, solitaire, spinifex parrot and night parakeet. It i ...

, ''Pezoporus occidentalis'' *

Bourke's parrot Bourke's parrot (''Neopsephotus bourkii'', formerly known as ''Neophema bourkii''), also known as the blue-vented parrot, sundown parrot, pink-bellied parrot, Bourke's parakeet, Bourke or "Bourkie", is a small parrot found in Australia and the o ...

, ''Neophema bourkii'' *

Blue-winged parrot The blue-winged parrot (''Neophema chrysostoma''), also known as the blue-banded parakeet or blue-banded grass-parakeet, is a small parrot found in Tasmania and southeast mainland Australia. It is partly migratory, with populations of blue-winged ...

, ''Neophema chrysostoma'' *

Turquoise parrot The turquoise parrot (''Neophema pulchella'') is a species of parrot in the genus ''Neophema'' native to Eastern Australia, from southeastern Queensland, through New South Wales and into North-Eastern Victoria. It was described by George Shaw ...

, ''Neophema pulchella'' * Scarlet-chested parrot, ''Neophema splendida'' *

Swift parrot The swift parrot (''Lathamus discolor'') is a species of broad-tailed parrot, found only in southeastern Australia. The species breeds in Tasmania during the summer and migrates north to south eastern mainland Australia from Griffith- Warialda ...

, ''Lathamus discolor'' *

Australian ringneck The Australian ringneck (''Barnardius zonarius'') is a parrot native to Australia. Except for extreme tropical and highland areas, the species has adapted to all conditions. Treatments of genus ''Barnardius'' have previously recognised two s ...

, ''Barnardius barnardi'' *

Crimson rosella The crimson rosella (''Platycercus elegans'') is a parrot native to eastern and south eastern Australia which has been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It is commonly found in, but not restricted to, mountain forests and gardens. The ...

, ''Platycercus elegans'' *

Northern rosella The northern rosella (''Platycercus venustus''), formerly known as Brown's rosella or the smutty rosella, is a species of parrot native to northern Australia, ranging from the Gulf of Carpentaria and Arnhem Land to the Kimberley (Western Austral ...

, ''Platycercus venustus'' *

Eastern rosella The eastern rosella (''Platycercus eximius'') is a rosella native to southeastern Australia and Tasmania. It has been introduced to New Zealand where feral populations are found in the North Island (notably in the northern half of the island, Ta ...

, ''Platycercus eximius'' *

Pale-headed rosella The pale-headed rosella (''Platycercus adscitus''), is a broad-tailed parrot of the genus ''Platycercus'' native to northeastern Australia. It is a moderate-size parrot with a pale yellow head, predominantly white cheeks, scalloped black and gold ...

, ''Platycercus adscitus'' * Greater bluebonnet, ''Northiella haematogaster'' *

Red-rumped parrot The red-rumped parrot (''Psephotus haematonotus''), also known as the red-backed parrot or grass parrot, is a common bird of south-eastern Australia, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin. Taxonomy The red-rumped parrot was described by Joh ...

, ''Psephotus haematonotus'' * Mulga parrot, ''Psephotus varius'' *

Golden-shouldered parrot The golden-shouldered parrot (''Psephotellus chrysopterygius''), also known as the alwal, is a rare bird of southern Cape York Peninsula, in Queensland, Australia. A small parrot related to the more common red-rumped parrot (''Psephotus haematon ...

, ''Psephotus chrysopterygius'' (E) * Paradise parrot, ''Psephotus pulcherrimus'' *

Red-capped parrot The red-capped parrot (''Purpureicephalus spurius'') is a species of broad-tailed parrot native to southwestern Australia. It was described by Heinrich Kuhl in 1820, with no subspecies recognised. It has long been classified in its own genus o ...

, ''Purpureicephalus spurius'' * Double-eyed fig-parrot, ''Cyclopsitta diophthalma'' *

Budgerigar The budgerigar ( ; ''Melopsittacus undulatus''), also known as the common parakeet or shell parakeet, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot usually nicknamed the budgie ( ), or in American English, the parakeet. Budgies are the only spe ...

, ''Melopsittacus undulatus'' * Musk lorikeet, ''Glossopsitta concinna'' *

Little lorikeet The little lorikeet (''Parvipsitta pusilla'') is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is endemic to Australia. It is a small parrot, predominantly green in plumage with a red face. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical ...

, ''Parvipsitta pusilla'' *

Varied lorikeet The varied lorikeet (''Psitteuteles versicolor''), is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae that is endemic to the northern coastal regions of Australia. It is the only species in the genus ''Psitteuteles''. Taxonomy The first depictio ...

, ''Psitteuteles versicolor'' * Coconut lorikeet, ''Trichoglossus haematodus'' *

Red-collared lorikeet The red-collared lorikeet (''Trichoglossus rubritorquis'') is a species of parrot found in wooded habitats in northern Australia (north-eastern Western Australia, northern Northern Territory and far north-western Queensland). It was previously ...

, ''Trichoglossus rubritorquis'' *

Rainbow lorikeet The rainbow lorikeet (''Trichoglossus moluccanus'') is a species of parrot found in Australia. It is common along the eastern seaboard, from northern Queensland to South Australia. Its habitat is rainforest, coastal bush and woodland areas. S ...

, ''Trichoglossus moluccanus'' *

Scaly-breasted lorikeet The scaly-breasted lorikeet (''Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus'') is an Australian lorikeet found in woodland in eastern Australia. The common name aptly describes this bird, which has yellow breast feathers broadly edged with green that look ...

, ''Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus''

Pittas

Order:

Passeriformes A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by th ...

Family: Pittidae Pittas are medium-sized by passerine standards and are stocky, with fairly long, strong legs, short tails, and stout bills. Many are brightly coloured. They spend the majority of their time on wet forest floors, eating snails, insects, and similar invertebrates. * Papuan pitta, ''Erythropitta macklotii'' *

Noisy pitta The noisy pitta (''Pitta versicolor'') is a species of bird in the family Pittidae. The noisy pitta is found in eastern Australia and southern New Guinea. It eats earthworms, insects and snails. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtr ...

, ''Pitta versicolor''

Lyrebirds

Order:

Family: Menuridae Lyrebirds are most notable for their superb ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment, and the striking beauty of the male bird's huge tail when it is fanned out in courtship display. *

Albert's lyrebird Albert's lyrebird (''Menura alberti'') is a timid, pheasant-sized songbird which is endemic to subtropical rainforests of Australia, in a small area on the state border between New South Wales and Queensland. The rarer of the two species of lyrebi ...

, ''Menura alberti'' *

Superb lyrebird The superb lyrebird (''Menura novaehollandiae'') is an Australian songbird, one of two species from the family Menuridae. It is one of the world's largest songbirds, and is renowned for its elaborate tail and courtship displays, and its excell ...

, ''Menura novaehollandiae''

Scrub-birds

Order:

Family: Atrichornithidae The scrub-bird family is ancient and is understood to be most closely related to the

lyrebird A lyrebird is either of two species of ground-dwelling Australian birds that compose the genus ''Menura'', and the family Menuridae. They are most notable for their impressive ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environ ...

s, and probably also the bowerbirds and

treecreepers The treecreepers are a family, Certhiidae, of small passerine birds, widespread in wooded regions of the Northern Hemisphere and sub-Saharan Africa. The family contains eleven species in two genera, ''Certhia'' and ''Salpornis''. Their plumage ...

. * Rufous scrub-bird, ''Atrichornis rufescens''

Bowerbirds

Order:

Family:

Ptilonorhynchidae Bowerbirds () make up the bird family Ptilonorhynchidae. They are renowned for their unique courtship behaviour, where males build a structure and decorate it with sticks and brightly coloured objects in an attempt to attract a mate. The family ...

The bowerbirds are small to medium-sized passerine birds. The males notably build a bower to attract a mate. Depending on the species, the bower ranges from a circle of cleared earth with a small pile of twigs in the center to a complex and highly decorated structure of sticks and leaves. *

Spotted catbird The spotted catbird (''Ailuroedus maculosus'') is a species of bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchidae) which can be found in north Queensland, the eastern Moluccas and New Guinea.Higgins, P.J., Peter, J.M. and Cowling, S.J. 2006. Handbook of Australian, Ne ...

, ''Ailuroedus melanotis'' (E) *

Black-eared catbird The black-eared catbird (''Ailuroedus melanotis'') is a species of bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchidae) which can be found northern Queensland and New Guinea, including its surrounding islands. They are named after their cat-like wails and black ear ...

, ''Ailuroedus melanotis'' *

Green catbird The green catbird (''Ailuroedus crassirostris'') is a species of bowerbird found in subtropical forests along the east coast of Australia, from southeastern Queensland to southern New South Wales. It is named after its distinctive call which soun ...

, ''Ailuroedus crassirostris'' *

Tooth-billed bowerbird The tooth-billed bowerbird (''Scenopoeetes dentirostris''), also known as the stagemaker bowerbird or tooth-billed catbird, is a medium-sized (approximately long) bowerbird. It is a stocky olive-brown bird with brown-streaked buffish white unde ...

, ''Scenopoeetes dentirostris'' (E) *

Golden bowerbird The golden bowerbird (''Prionodura newtoniana'') is a species of bird in the family Ptilonorhynchidae, the bowerbirds. It is endemic to Queensland in Australia, where it is limited to the Atherton region. Distribution This species has a patc ...

, ''Amblyornis newtoniana'' (E) *

Regent bowerbird The regent bowerbird (''Sericulus chrysocephalus'') is a medium-sized, up to 25 cm long, sexually dimorphic bowerbird. The male bird is black with a golden orange-yellow crown, mantle and black-tipped wing feathers. It has yellow bill, black ...

, ''Sericulus chrysocephalus'' *

Satin bowerbird The satin bowerbird (''Ptilonorhynchus violaceus'') is a bowerbird endemic to eastern Australia. A rare natural intergeneric hybrid between the satin bowerbird and the regent bowerbird is known as Rawnsley's bowerbird. Description Mature mal ...

, ''Ptilonorhynchus violaceus'' *

Spotted bowerbird The spotted bowerbird (''Chlamydera maculata'') is a sedentary, mid-sized passerine found across broad parts of the drier habitats of eastern Australia. The species is known for its remarkable behaviours, like many other bowerbirds (Ptilonorynch ...

, ''Chlamydera maculata'' *

Great bowerbird The great bowerbird (''Chlamydera nuchalis'') is a common and conspicuous resident of northern Australia, from the area around Broome across the Top End to Cape York Peninsula and as far south as Mount Isa. Favoured habitat is a broad range of fo ...

, ''Chlamydera nuchalis'' *

Fawn-breasted bowerbird The fawn-breasted bowerbird (''Chlamydera cerviniventris'') is a medium-sized, up to long, bowerbird with a greyish brown spotted white plumage, a black bill, dark brown iris, yellow mouth and an orange buff below. Both sexes are similar. The ...

, ''Chlamydera cerviniventris''

Australasian treecreepers

Order:

Family:

Climacteridae There are seven species of Australasian treecreeper in the passerine bird family Climacteridae. They are medium-small, mostly brown birds with patterning on their underparts, and all are endemic to Australia-New Guinea. They resemble, but are n ...

The Climacteridae are medium-small, mostly brown-coloured birds with patterning on their underparts. *

White-throated treecreeper The white-throated treecreeper (''Cormobates leucophaea'') is an Australian treecreeper found in the forests of eastern Australia. It is unrelated to the northern hemisphere treecreepers. It is a small passerine bird with predominantly brown and ...

, ''Cormobates leucophaea'' *

White-browed treecreeper The white-browed treecreeper (''Climacteris affinis'') is the smallest of the Australo-papuan treecreepers and sole family member adapted to arid environments. The species foraging strategy involves climbing the trunks of trees in search of inver ...

, ''Climacteris affinis'' *

Red-browed treecreeper The red-browed treecreeper (''Climacteris erythrops'') is a species of bird in the family Climacteridae. It is endemic to temperate and subtropical eastern Australia. It is found in mature eucalypt forests and woodlands in both coastal and mount ...

, ''Climacteris erythrops'' *

Brown treecreeper The brown treecreeper (''Climacteris picumnus'') is the largest Australasian treecreeper. The bird, endemic to eastern Australia, has a broad distribution, occupying areas from Cape York, Queensland, throughout New South Wales and Victoria to ...

, ''Climacteris picumnus'' *

Black-tailed treecreeper The black-tailed treecreeper (''Climacteris melanurus'') is a species of bird in the family Climacteridae. It is endemic to north and northwestern Australia. Its natural habitats are temperate forest A forest is an area of land dominate ...

, ''Climacteris melanurus''

Fairywrens

Order:

Family:

Maluridae The Australasian wrens are a family, Maluridae, of small, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. While commonly known as wrens, they are unrelated to the true wrens. The family comprises 32 species (including sixteen ...

Maluridae is a family of small, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. They are socially monogamous and sexually promiscuous, meaning that although they form pairs between one male and one female, each partner will mate with other individuals and even assist in raising the young from such pairings. *

Grey grasswren The grey grasswren (''Amytornis barbatus'') is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is found on arid inland floodplains of Australia where it is endemic. The grey grasswren is a rarely seen elusive bird that was first ...

, ''Amytornis barbatus'' * Opalton grasswren, ''Amytornis rowleyi'' (E) * Carpentarian grasswren, ''Amytornis dorotheae'' *

Short-tailed grasswren The short-tailed grasswren (''Amytornis merrotsyi'') is a species of bird in the family Maluridae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are temperate shrubland and rocky areas. Subspecies Two subspecies are recognized:IOC v.6.3 * ...

, ''Amytornis merrotsyi'' *

Eyrean grasswren The Eyrean grasswren (''Amytornis goyderi'') is a small grasswren from the Passerine family Maluridae. This is a cryptically plumaged and uncommon bird endemic to arid regions of Central Australia. The species was discovered by F.W. Andrews i ...

, ''Amytornis goyderi'' *

Kalkadoon grasswren The Kalkadoon grasswren (''Amytornis ballarae''), also called the Ballara grasswren, is a species of passerine bird in the family Maluridae. It is endemic to Australia. Taxonomy It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the dusky grasswren. ...

, ''Amytornis ballarae'' (E) * Southern emuwren, ''Stipiturus malachurus'' * Rufous-crowned emuwren, ''Stipiturus ruficeps'' *

Purple-crowned fairywren The purple-crowned fairywren (''Malurus coronatus'') is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is the largest of the eleven species in the genus '' Malurus'' and is endemic to northern Australia. The species name is de ...

, ''Malurus coronatus'' *

Purple-backed fairywren The purple-backed fairywren (''Malurus assimilis'') is a fairywren that is native to Australia. Described by Alfred John North in 1901, it has four recognised subspecies. In a species that exhibits sexual dimorphism, the brightly coloured breedin ...

, ''Malurus assimilis'' *

Variegated fairywren The variegated fairywren (''Malurus lamberti'') is a fairywren that lives in eastern Australia. In a species that exhibits sexual dimorphism, the brightly coloured breeding male has chestnut shoulders and azure crown and ear coverts, while non ...

, ''Malurus lamberti'' *

Lovely fairywren The lovely fairywren (''Malurus amabilis''), or lovely wren, is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is endemic to northeastern Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropic ...

, ''Malurus amabilis'' (E) *

Splendid fairywren The splendid fairywren (''Malurus splendens'') is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is also known simply as the splendid wren or more colloquially in Western Australia as the blue wren. The splendid fairywren is fou ...

, ''Malurus splendens'' *

Superb fairywren The superb fairywren (''Malurus cyaneus'') is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae, and is common and familiar across south-eastern Australia. It is a sedentary and territorial species, also exhibiting a high degree of sex ...

, ''Malurus cyaneus'' *

White-winged fairywren The white-winged fairywren (''Malurus leucopterus'') is a species of passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It lives in the drier parts of Central Australia; from central Queensland and South Australia across to Western Aus ...

, ''Malurus leucopterus'' *

Red-backed fairywren The red-backed fairywren (''Malurus melanocephalus'') is a species of passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is endemic to Australia and can be found near rivers and coastal areas along the northern and eastern coastlines ...

, ''Malurus melanocephalus''

Honeyeaters

Order:

Family:

Meliphagidae The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family, Meliphagidae, of small to medium-sized birds. The family includes the Australian chats, myzomelas, friarbirds, wattlebirds, miners and melidectes. They are most common in Australia and New Gu ...

The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium-sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea. They are nectar feeders and closely resemble other nectar-feeding passerines. *

Eastern spinebill The eastern spinebill (''Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris'') is a species of honeyeater found in south-eastern Australia in forest and woodland areas, as well as gardens in urban areas of Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. It is around 15&nb ...

, ''Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris'' *

Pied honeyeater The pied honeyeater (''Certhionyx variegatus'') is a species of bird in the family of honeyeaters Meliphagidae and the sole species in the genus '' Certhionyx'' (Christidis & Boles 2008). This species is also known as the black and white honeyeat ...

, ''Certhionyx variegatus'' *

Yellow-spotted honeyeater The yellow-spotted honeyeater (''Meliphaga notata'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is also known as the lesser lewin. The bird is endemic to northern Queensland. The bird's common name refers to the yellow patch that membe ...

, ''Meliphaga notata'' (E) *

Lewin's honeyeater Lewin's honeyeater (''Meliphaga lewinii'') is a bird that inhabits the ranges along the east coast of Australia. It has a semicircular ear-patch, pale yellow in colour. The name of this bird commemorates the Australian artist John Lewin. Descri ...

, ''Meliphaga lewinii'' *

Graceful honeyeater The graceful honeyeater (''Microptilotis gracilis'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is found in the Aru Islands, southern New Guinea, and Cape York Peninsula. Its natural habitat In ecology, the term habitat summar ...

, ''Microptilotis gracilis'' * Cryptic honeyeater, ''Microptilotis imitatrix'' (E) *

Yellow honeyeater The yellow honeyeater (''Stomiopera flava'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Australia. Overview Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove fore ...

, ''Stomiopera flava'' (E) *

White-gaped honeyeater The white-gaped honeyeater (''Stomiopera unicolor'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest ...

, ''Stomiopera unicolor'' * White-fronted honeyeater, ''Purnella albifrons'' *

Yellow-faced honeyeater The yellow-faced honeyeater (''Caligavis chrysops'') is a small to medium-sized bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae. It takes its common and scientific names from the distinctive yellow stripes on the sides of its head. Its loud, clear ...

, ''Caligavis chrysops'' *

Yellow-tufted honeyeater The yellow-tufted honeyeater (''Lichenostomus melanops'') is a passerine bird found in the south-east ranges of Australia. A predominantly black and yellow honeyeater, it is split into four subspecies. Taxonomy The yellow-tufted honeyeater was ...

, ''Lichenostomus melanops'' *

Bell miner The bell miner (''Manorina melanophrys''), commonly known as the bellbird, is a colonial honeyeater, endemic to southeastern Australia. The common name refers to their bell-like call. 'Miner' is an old alternative spelling of 'myna', and is shar ...

, ''Manorina melanophrys'' *

Noisy miner The noisy miner (''Manorina melanocephala'') is a bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae, and is endemic to eastern and southeastern Australia. This miner is a grey bird, with a black head, orange-yellow beak and feet, a distinctive yellow ...

, ''Manorina melanocephala'' *

Yellow-throated miner The yellow-throated miner (''Manorina flavigula'') is a species of colonial honeyeater, endemic to Australia. It is also known as the white-rumped miner. The distinctive white rump is easy to observe in the field and distinguishes it from the ot ...

, ''Manorina flavigula'' * Bridled honeyeater, ''Bolemoreus frenatus'' (E) * Eungella honeyeater, ''Bolemoreus hindwoodi'' (E) *

Spiny-cheeked honeyeater The spiny-cheeked honeyeater (''Acanthagenys rufogularis'') is the only species in the genus ''Acanthagenys''. It is large for a honeyeater, ranging from tall and weighing around 52 grams."Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater." Featherdal Wildlife ...

, ''Acanthagenys rufogularis'' *

Little wattlebird The little wattlebird (''Anthochaera chrysoptera''), also known as the brush wattlebird, is a passerine bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. It is found in coastal and sub-coastal south-eastern Australia. Taxonomy The little wattlebird wa ...

, ''Anthochaera chrysoptera'' *

Regent honeyeater The regent honeyeater (''Anthochaera phrygia'') is a critically endangered bird endemic to southeastern Australia. It is commonly considered a flagship species within its range, with the efforts going into its conservation having positive eff ...

, ''Anthochaera phrygia'' *

Red wattlebird The red wattlebird (''Anthochaera carunculata'') is a passerine bird native to southern Australia. At in length, it is the second largest species of Australian honeyeater. It has mainly grey-brown plumage, with red eyes, distinctive pinkish-re ...

, ''Anthochaera carunculata'' * Varied honeyeater, ''Gavicalis versicolor'' * Mangrove honeyeater, ''Gavicalis fasciogularis'' *

Singing honeyeater The singing honeyeater (''Gavicalis virescens'') is a small bird found in Australia, and is part of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. The bird lives in a wide range of shrubland, woodland, and coastal habitat. It is relatively common and is wi ...

, ''Gavicalis virescens'' * White-plumed honeyeater, ''Ptilotula penicillata'' *

Yellow-tinted honeyeater The yellow-tinted honeyeater (''Ptilotula flavescens'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or trop ...

, ''Ptilotula flavescens'' *

Fuscous honeyeater The fuscous honeyeater (''Ptilotula fusca'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to eastern Australia. The fuscous honeyeater is dull grey-brown to olive-brown above with buffy-grey underparts. The bill is black and th ...

, ''Ptilotula fusca'' *

Grey-headed honeyeater The grey-headed honeyeater (''Ptilotula keartlandi'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Australia. Nomenclature, taxonomy and evolutionary history First described as ''Ptilotis keartlandi'' in 1895 by Australia ...

, ''Ptilotula keartlandi'' * Grey-fronted honeyeater, ''Ptilotula plumula'' * Brown-backed honeyeater, ''Ramsayornis modestus'' *

Bar-breasted honeyeater The bar-breasted honeyeater (''Ramsayornis fasciatus'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, ...

, ''Ramsayornis fasciatus'' (E) * Rufous-banded honeyeater, ''Conopophila albogularis'' * Rufous-throated honeyeater, ''Conopophila rufogularis'' *

Grey honeyeater The grey honeyeater (''Conopophila whitei'') is a species of bird in the honeyeater family. It is an uncommon and little-known bird, an often overlooked endemic of remote areas in central Australia. Taxonomy Currently placed as a species of th ...

, ''Conopophila whitei'' * Gibber chat, ''Ashbyia lovensis'' *

Yellow chat The yellow chat (''Epthianura crocea'') is a small passerine bird endemic to Australia.Houston, W., Porter, G., O’Neill, P., and Elder, R. (2004). "The ecology of the critically endangered yellow chat Epthianura crocea macgregori on Curtis Isla ...

, ''Epthianura crocea'' *

Crimson chat The crimson chat (''Epthianura tricolor'') is a species of small bird found in Australia. It is also known as the tricoloured chat, saltbush canary, and crimson-breasted nun. Description Crimson chats are usually in length and in weight. They h ...

, ''Epthianura tricolor'' *

Orange chat The orange chat (''Epthianura aurifrons'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is Endemism, endemic to Australia. Description The orange chat (''Epthianura aurifrons'') is Endemism, endemic to Australia.Fraser, Ian & Gray, Jeanni ...

, ''Epthianura aurifrons'' * White-fronted chat, ''Epthianura albifrons'' *

Black honeyeater The black honeyeater (''Sugomel nigrum'') is a species of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. The black honeyeater exhibits sexual dimorphism, with the male being black and white while the female is a speckled grey-brown; immature birds l ...

, ''Sugomel niger'' * Dusky myzomela, ''Myzomela obscura'' *

Red-headed myzomela The red-headed myzomela or red-headed honeyeater (''Myzomela erythrocephala'') is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It was described by John Gould in 1840. Two subspecie ...

, ''Myzomela erythrocephala'' *

Scarlet myzomela The scarlet myzomela or scarlet honeyeater (''Myzomela sanguinolenta'') is a small passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to Australia. It was first described by English ornithologist John Latham in 1801. At long, it is t ...

, ''Myzomela sanguinolenta'' * Green-backed honeyeater, ''Glycichaera fallax'' *

Banded honeyeater The banded honeyeater (''Cissomela pectoralis'') is a species of honeyeater in the family Meliphagidae with a characteristic narrow black band across its white underparts. It is endemic to tropical northern Australia. Taxonomy and systematics ...

, ''Cissomela pectoralis'' *

Brown honeyeater The brown honeyeater (''Lichmera indistincta'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It belongs to the honeyeaters, a group of birds which have highly developed brush-tipped tongues adapted for nectar feeding. Honeyeaters are found ...

, ''Lichmera indistincta'' * New Holland honeyeater, ''Phylidonyris novaehollandiae'' *

White-cheeked honeyeater The white-cheeked honeyeater (''Phylidonyris niger'') inhabits the east coast and the south-west corner of Australia. It has a large white patch on its cheek, brown eyes, and a yellow panel on its wing. Taxonomy The white-cheeked honeyeater was ...

, ''Phylidonyris niger'' *

White-streaked honeyeater The white-streaked honeyeater (''Trichodere cockerelli'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Trichodere''. It is endemic to Cape York Peninsula. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dr ...

, ''Trichodere cockerelli'' (E) *

White-eared honeyeater The white-eared honeyeater (''Nesoptilotis leucotis'') is a medium-sized honeyeater found in Australia. It is a member of the family Meliphagidae (honeyeaters and Australian chats) which has 190 recognised species with about half of them found i ...

, ''Nesoptilotis leucotis'' *

Blue-faced honeyeater The blue-faced honeyeater (''Entomyzon cyanotis''), also colloquially known as the bananabird, is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae. It is the only member of its genus, and it is most closely related to honeyeaters of t ...

, ''Entomyzon cyanotis'' *White-throated honeyeater, ''Melithreptus albogularis'' *White-naped honeyeater, ''Melithreptus lunatus'' *Brown-headed honeyeater, ''Melithreptus brevirostris'' *Black-chinned honeyeater, ''Melithreptus gularis'' *Tawny-breasted honeyeater, ''Xanthotis flaviventer'' *Macleay's honeyeater, ''Xanthotis macleayanus'' (E) *Striped honeyeater, ''Plectorhyncha lanceolata'' *Painted honeyeater, ''Grantiella picta'' *Little friarbird, ''Philemon citreogularis'' *Helmeted friarbird, ''Philemon buceroides'' *Silver-crowned friarbird, ''Philemon argenticeps'' *Noisy friarbird, ''Philemon corniculatus''

Bristlebirds

Order:

Family: Dasyornithidae Bristlebirds are long-tailed, sedentary, ground-frequenting birds. The common name of the family is derived from the presence of prominent rictal bristles - three stiff, hair-like feathers curving downwards on either side of the gape. *Eastern bristlebird, ''Dasyornis brachypterus''

Pardalotes

Order:

Family: Pardalotidae Pardalotes spend most of their time high in the outer foliage of trees, feeding on insects, spiders, and above all lerp (biology), lerps (a type of sap-sucking insect). *Spotted pardalote, ''Pardalotus punctatus'' *Red-browed pardalote, ''Pardalotus rubricatus'' *Striated pardalote, ''Pardalotus striatus''

Thornbills and allies

Order:

Family: Acanthizidae Thornbills are small passerine birds, similar in habits to the tits. *Fernwren, ''Oreoscopus gutturalis'' (E) *Yellow-throated scrubwren, ''Sericornis citreogularis'' *White-browed scrubwren, ''Sericornis frontalis'' *Atherton scrubwren, ''Sericornis keri'' (E) *Tropical scrubwren, ''Sericornis beccarii'' *Large-billed scrubwren, ''Sericornis magnirostra'' *Redthroat, ''Pyrrholaemus brunneus'' *Speckled warbler, ''Pyrrholaemus sagittatus'' *Rufous fieldwren, ''Calamanthus campestris'' *Chestnut-rumped heathwren, ''Hylacola pyrrhopygia'' *Buff-rumped thornbill, ''Acanthiza reguloides'' *Mountain thornbill, ''Acanthiza katherina'' (E) *Brown thornbill, ''Acanthiza pusilla'' *Inland thornbill, ''Acanthiza apicalis'' *Yellow-rumped thornbill, ''Acanthiza chrysorrhoa'' *Chestnut-rumped thornbill, ''Acanthiza uropygialis'' *Slaty-backed thornbill, ''Acanthiza robustirostris'' *Yellow thornbill, ''Acanthiza nana'' *Striated thornbill, ''Acanthiza lineata'' *Weebill, ''Smicrornis brevirostris'' *Fairy gerygone, ''Gerygone palpebrosa'' *White-throated gerygone, ''Gerygone olivacea'' *Large-billed gerygone, ''Gerygone magnirostris'' *Brown gerygone, ''Gerygone mouki'' *Western gerygone, ''Gerygone fusca'' *Mangrove gerygone, ''Gerygone levigaster'' *Southern whiteface, ''Aphelocephala leucopsis'' *Banded whiteface, ''Aphelocephala nigricincta''

Pseudo-babblers

Order:

Family: Pomatostomidae The pseudo-babblers are small to medium-sized birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. They are ground-feeding omnivores and highly social. *Grey-crowned babbler, ''Pomatostomus temporalis'' *White-browed babbler, ''Pomatostomus superciliosus'' *Hall's babbler, ''Pomatostomus halli'' *Chestnut-crowned babbler, ''Pomatostomus ruficeps''

Logrunners

Order:

Family: Orthonychidae The Orthonychidae is a family of birds with a single genus, ''Orthonyx'', which comprises two types of passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea, the logrunners and the chowchilla. Both use stiffened tails to brace themselves when feeding. *Australian logrunner, ''Orthonyx temminckii'' *Chowchilla, ''Orthonyx spaldingii'' (E)

Quail-thrushes and jewel-babblers

Order:

Family: Cinclosomatidae The Cinclosomatidae is a family containing jewel-babblers and quail-thrushes. *Spotted quail-thrush, ''Cinclosoma punctatum'' *Chestnut-breasted quail-thrush, ''Cinclosoma castaneothorax'' *Cinnamon quail-thrush, ''Cinclosoma cinnamomeum''

Cuckooshrikes

Order:

Family: Campephagidae The cuckooshrikes are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are predominantly greyish with white and black, although some species are brightly coloured. *Ground cuckooshrike, ''Coracina maxima'' *Barred cuckooshrike, ''Coracina lineata'' *Black-faced cuckooshrike, ''Coracina novaehollandiae'' *White-bellied cuckooshrike, ''Coracina papuensis'' *White-winged triller, ''Lalage tricolor'' *Varied triller, ''Lalage leucomela'' *Common cicadabird, '' Edolisoma tenuirostre''

Sittellas

Order:

Family: Neosittidae The sittellas are a family of small passerine birds found only in Australasia. They resemble treecreepers, but have soft tails. *Papuan sittella, ''Neositta papuensis'' *Varied sittella, ''Neositta chrysoptera''

Whipbirds and wedgebills

Order:

Family: Psophodidae The Psophodidae is a family containing whipbirds and wedgebills. *Eastern whipbird, ''Psophodes olivaceus'' *Chiming wedgebill, ''Psophodes occidentalis'' *Chirruping wedgebill, ''Psophodes cristatus''

Australo-Papuan bellbirds

Order:

Family: Oreoicidae The three species contained in the family have been moved around between different family (biology), families for fifty years. A series of studies of the DNA of Australian birds between 2006 and 2001 found strong support for treating the three genera as a new family, which was formally named in 2016. *Crested bellbird, ''Oreoica gutturalis''

Shrike-tits

Order:

Family: Falcunculidae The shrike-tits have a parrot-like bill, used for distinctive bark-stripping behaviour, which gains it access to invertebrates *Eastern shrike-tit, ''Falcunculus frontatus''

Whistlers and allies

Order:

Family: Pachycephalidae The family Pachycephalidae includes the whistlers, shrikethrushes, and some of the pitohuis. *Sandstone shrikethrush, ''Colluricincla woodwardi'' *Bower's shrikethrush, ''Colluricincla boweri'' (E) *Grey shrikethrush, ''Colluricincla harmonica'' *Rufous shrikethrush, ''Colluricincla rufogaster'' *Olive whistler, ''Pachycephala olivacea'' *Golden whistler, ''Pachycephala pectoralis'' *Black-tailed whistler, ''Pachycephala melanura'' *Gray whistler, ''Pachycephala simplex'' *Rufous whistler, ''Pachycephala rufiventris'' *White-breasted whistler, ''Pachycephala lanioides''

Old World orioles

Order:

Family: Oriolidae The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the New World orioles. *Olive-backed oriole, ''Oriolus sagittatus'' *Green oriole, ''Oriolus flavocinctus'' *Australasian figbird, ''Sphecotheres vieilloti''

Boatbills

Order:

Family: Machaerirhynchidae The boatbills have affinities to woodswallows and butcherbirds, and are distributed across New Guinea and northern

. *Yellow-breasted boatbill, ''Machaerirhynchus flaviventer''

Woodswallows, bellmagpies, and allies

Order:

Family: Artamidae The woodswallows are soft-plumaged, somber-coloured passerine birds. They are smooth, agile flyers with moderately large, semi-triangular wings. The cracticids: currawongs, bellmagpies and butcherbirds, are similar to the other corvids. They have large, straight bills and mostly black, white or grey plumage. All are omnivorous to some degree. *White-breasted woodswallow, ''Artamus leucorynchus'' *Masked woodswallow, ''Artamus personatus'' *White-browed woodswallow, ''Artamus superciliosus'' *Black-faced woodswallow, ''Artamus cinereus'' *Dusky woodswallow, ''Artamus cyanopterus'' *Little woodswallow, ''Artamus minor'' *Black-backed butcherbird, ''Cracticus mentalis'' *Grey butcherbird, ''Cracticus torquatus'' *Pied butcherbird, ''Cracticus nigrogularis'' *Black butcherbird, ''Cracticus quoyi'' *Australian magpie, ''Gymnorhina tibicen'' *Pied currawong, ''Strepera graculina''

Fantails

Order:

Family: Rhipiduridae The fantails are small insectivorous birds which are specialist aerial feeders. *Northern fantail, ''Rhipidura rufiventris'' *Willie-wagtail, ''Rhipidura leucophrys'' *Rufous fantail, ''Rhipidura rufifrons'' *Arafura fantail, ''Rhipidura dryas'' *Grey fantail, ''Rhipidura albiscapa'' *Mangrove fantail, ''Rhipidura phasiana''

Drongos

Order:

Family: Dicruridae The drongos are mostly black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright when perched, like a shrike. They flycatch or take prey from the ground. *Spangled drongo, ''Dicrurus bracteatus''

Birds-of-Paradise

Order:

Family: Paradisaeidae The birds-of-paradise are best known for the striking plumage possessed by the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the tail, wings or head. These plumes are used in courtship displays to attract females. *Trumpet manucode, ''Manucodia keraudrenii'' *Paradise riflebird, ''Ptiloris paradiseus'' *Victoria's riflebird, ''Ptiloris victoriae'' (E) *Magnificent riflebird, ''Ptiloris magnificus''

Monarch flycatchers

Order:

Family: Monarchidae The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines which hunt by flycatching. *White-eared monarch, ''Carterornis leucotis'' *Black-faced monarch, ''Monarcha melanopsis'' *Black-winged monarch, ''Monarcha frater'' *Spectacled monarch, ''Symposiachrus trivirgatus'' *Frill-necked monarch, ''Arses lorealis'' (E) *Pied monarch, ''Arses kaupi'' *Magpie-lark, ''Grallina cyanoleuca'' *Leaden flycatcher, ''Myiagra rubecula'' *Broad-billed flycatcher, ''Myiagra ruficollis'' *Satin flycatcher, ''Myiagra cyanoleuca'' *Restless flycatcher, ''Myiagra inquieta'' *Paperbark flycatcher, ''Myiagra nana'' *Shining flycatcher, ''Myiagra alecto''

White-winged chough and apostlebird

Order:

Family: Corcoracidae They are found in open habitat in eastern Australia, mostly open eucalypt woodlands and some forest that lacks a closed canopy. They are highly social, spend much of their time foraging through leaf litter with a very distinctive gait, calling to one another almost constantly *White-winged chough, ''Corcorax melanorhamphos'' *Apostlebird, ''Struthidea cinerea''

Crows, jays, and magpies

Order:

Family: Corvidae The family Corvidae includes

s, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcracker (bird), nutcrackers and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence. *House crow, ''Corvus splendens'' (A) *Torresian crow, ''Corvus orru'' *Little crow (bird), Little crow, ''Corvus bennetti'' *Australian raven, ''Corvus coronoides'' *Little raven, ''Corvus mellori'' (A) *Forest raven, ''Corvus tasmanicus''

Australasian robins

Order:

Family: Petroicidae Most species of Petroicidae have a stocky build with a large rounded head, a short straight bill and rounded wingtips. They occupy a wide range of wooded habitats, from subalpine to tropical rainforest, and mangrove swamp to semi-arid scrubland. All are primarily insectivores, although a few supplement their diet with seeds. *Jacky-winter, ''Microeca fascinans'' *Lemon-bellied flycatcher, ''Microeca flavigaster'' *Yellow-legged flycatcher, ''Microeca griseoceps'' *Scarlet robin, ''Petroica multicolor'' *Flame robin, ''Petroica phoenicea'' (A) *Rose robin, ''Petroica rosea'' *Red-capped robin, ''Petroica goodenovii'' *Hooded robin, ''Melanodryas cucullata'' *White-faced robin, ''Tregellasia leucops'' *Pale-yellow robin, ''Tregellasia capito'' *Eastern yellow robin, ''Eopsaltria australis'' *Mangrove robin, ''Eopsaltria pulverulenta'' *White-browed robin, ''Poecilodryas superciliosa'' (E) *Buff-sided robin, ''Poecilodryas cerviniventris'' *Ashy robin, ''Heteromyias albispecularis'' *Grey-headed robin, ''Heteromyias cinereifrons'' (E) *Northern scrub-robin, ''Drymodes superciliaris'' (E)

Larks

Order:

Family: Alaudidae Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds. *Horsfield’s bushlark, ''Mirafra javanica''

Cisticolas and allies

Order:

Family: Cisticolidae The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub. *Zitting cisticola, ''Cisticola juncidis'' *Golden-headed cisticola, ''Cisticola exilis''

Reed warblers and allies

Order:

Family: Acrocephalidae The members of this family are usually rather large for "warblers". Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa. *Oriental reed warbler, ''Acrocephalus orientalis'' (A) *Australian reed warbler, ''Acrocephalus australis''

Grassbirds and allies

Order:

Family: Locustellidae Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over. *Spinifexbird, ''Poodytes carteri'' *Little grassbird, ''Poodytes gramineus'' *Brown songlark, ''Cincloramphus cruralis'' *Rufous songlark, ''Cincloramphus mathewsi'' *Tawny grassbird, ''Cincloramphus timoriensis''

Swallows

Order:

Family: Hirundinidae Fairy Martin Samcem may06

The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings, and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base. *Barn swallow, ''Hirundo rustica'' *Welcome swallow, ''Hirundo neoxena'' *Red-rumped swallow, ''Cecropis daurica'' (A) *Fairy martin, ''Petrochelidon ariel'' *Tree martin, ''Petrochelidon nigricans'' *White-backed swallow, ''Cheramoeca leucosterna''

Bulbuls

Order:

Family: Bulbul, Pycnonotidae Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Some are colourful with yellow, red or orange vents, cheeks, throats or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage. Some species have distinct crests. *Red-whiskered bulbul, ''Pycnonotus jocosus'' (I)

White-eyes, yuhinas, and allies

Order:

Family: Zosteropidae The white-eyes are small birds of rather drab appearance, the plumage above being typically greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast, or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As the name suggests, many species have a white ring around each eye. *Lemon-bellied white-eye, ''Zosterops chloris'' *Ashy-bellied white-eye, ''Zosterops citrinella'' *Australian yellow white-eye, ''Zosterops luteus'' *Silver-eye, ''Zosterops lateralis''

Starlings

Order:

Family: Sturnidae Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen. *Metallic starling, ''Aplonis metallica'' *Singing starling, ''Aplonis cantoroides'' *European starling, ''Sturnus vulgaris'' (I) *Common myna, ''Acridotheres tristis'' (I)

Thrushes and allies

Order:

Family: Turdidae The Thrush (bird), thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs. *Bassian thrush, ''Zoothera lunulata'' *Russet-tailed thrush, ''Zoothera heinei'' *Eurasian blackbird, ''Turdus merula'' *Eyebrowed thrush, ''Turdus obscurus'' (A)

Old World flycatchers

Order:

Family: Muscicapidae Old World flycatchers are a large group of small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls. *Blue rock-thrush, ''Monticola solitarius'' (A) *Isabelline wheatear, ''Oenanthe isabellina'' (A)

Flowerpeckers

Order:

Family: Dicaeidae The flowerpeckers are very small, stout, often brightly coloured birds, with short tails, short thick curved bills, and tubular tongues. *Red-capped flowerpecker, ''Dicaeum geelvinkianum'' *Mistletoebird, ''Dicaeum hirundinaceum''

Sunbirds and spiderhunters

Order:

Family: Nectariniidae The sunbirds and spiderhunters are very small passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Their flight is fast and direct on short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed. *Olive-backed sunbird, ''Cinnyris jugularis''

Waxbills and allies

Order:

Family: Estrildidae The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colours and patterns. *Painted firetail, ''Emblema pictum'' *Diamond firetail, ''Stagonopleura guttata'' *Red-browed firetail, ''Neochmia temporalis'' *Crimson finch, ''Neochmia phaeton'' *Star finch, ''Bathilda ruficauda'' *Plum-headed finch, ''Aidemosyne modesta'' *Zebra finch, ''Taeniopygia guttata'' *Double-barred finch, ''Stizoptera bichenovii'' *Masked finch, ''Poephila personata'' *Long-tailed finch, ''Poephila acuticauda'' *Black-throated finch, ''Poephila cincta'' *Blue-faced parrotfinch, ''Erythrura trichroa'' *Gouldian finch, ''Chloebia gouldiae'' *Scaly-breasted munia, ''Lonchura punctulata'' (I) *Chestnut-breasted munia, ''Lonchura castaneothorax'' *Pictorella munia, ''Heteromunia pectoralis''

Old World sparrows

Order:

Family: Passeridae Old World sparrows are small passerine birds, typically small, plump, brown or grey with short tails and short powerful beaks. They are seed-eaters, but also consume small insects. *House sparrow, ''Passer domesticus'' (I) *Eurasian tree sparrow, ''Passer montanus'' (I)

Wagtails and pipits

Order:

Family: Motacillidae Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails and comprises the wagtails, longclaws, and pipits. These are slender ground-feeding insectivores of open country. *Grey wagtail, ''Motacilla cinerea'' (A) *Eastern yellow wagtail, ''Motacilla tschutschensis'' (A) *White wagtail, ''Motacilla alba'' (A) *Australian pipit, ''Anthus australis''

Finches, euphonias, and allies

Order:

Family: Fringillidae Finches are small to moderately large seed-eating passerine birds with a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have 12 tail feathers and nine primary flight feathers. Finches have a bouncing flight, alternating bouts of flapping with gliding on closed wings, and most sing well. *European greenfinch, ''Chloris chloris'' (I) *European goldfinch, ''Carduelis carduelis'' (I)

References

*{{cite book , title=A World Checklist of Birds , first= Burt L. & Charles G , last = Sibley & Monroe , publisher = Yale University Press , year = 1997 , isbn = 0-300-07083-7 , pages = 416

External links

BirdsAustralia Rarities Committee
(1993)

(2008)

Lists of birds of Australia, Queensland Queensland-related lists, Birds