Birdwatching

South Bruny Island

70 minutes south of Hobart, including ferry trip from Kettering. See all of Tasmania’s endemic species; also Pink Robin, Swift Parrot, Beautiful Firetail, Kelp Gull.

Mount Knocklofty (the Mount Stuart end)

5 minutes from Hobart CBD. Go up Mt Stuart Road to the lookout, and continue up the walking tracks onto Mount Knocklofty. See Pallid Cuckoos, Common and Brush Bronzewings, Striated and Spotted Pardalotes, Grey Goshawks, Forest Ravens, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos.

Lenah Valley track, Mount Wellington

15 minutes from Hobart CBD. Go to Bushy Creek Road, and follow beyond to the Lenah Valley Walking Track. See Pink Robins, Beautiful Firetails in the rainforest, and mountain birds the further up you go.

Westerway

45 minutes north-west of Hobart. Take the Lyell Highway, then turn left onto the road to Strathgordon. Look for the old neglected farms which adjoin the Mount Field National Park. See many small passerines.

Waterworks Reserve, Hobart

7 minutes south-west of Hobart CBD. Drive south-west along Davey Street, and at the bend, turn left into Romilly Street and then right onto Waterworks Road and drive for another kilometre or so. Look out for the big stone gateposts, where you enter the Reserve. See Yellow-throated, Strong-billed and Black-headed Honeyeaters, Black Currawongs, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, Grey Fantails, Tasmanian Native-hens and Pink Robins. Click here for more details of the reserve.

Chiltern State Forest

3 hours north-east of Melbourne. See a range of box-ironbark species, including Regent Honeyeater, Diamond Firetail, Turquoise Parrot, Painted Honeyeater.

Cabbage Tree Palms, near Marlo

4½ hours east of Melbourne. At Orbost, take turnoff to Marlo, and then at Marlo, head to Cape Conran; look out for the sign-posted road to Cabbage Trees on your right. See warm, temperate rainforest species, as well as fruit-eating pigeons when palms are fruiting, including Topknot Pigeon, Azure Kingfisher, Wonga Pigeon.

Western Treatment Plant, Werribee

30 minutes south-west of Melbourne. See wide range of shorebirds and waterfowl in great numbers; also Orange-bellied Parrots in winter. Permit required for entry.

Point Addis

90 minutes south-west of Melbourne. Drive 10 minutes past Torquay and turn left at signpost after Bells Beach turn-off. See passing seabirds from the cliffs, or see Rufous Bristlebirds, Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens, Southern Emu-wrens in heathy woodland of hinterland.

Hattah Kulkyne National Park

5½ hours north-west of Melbourne; 4½ hours east of Adelaide. See a range of mallee and river red gum specialists, including Mallee Emu-wren, Regent Parrot, Striated Grasswren, and many waterbirds.

Banyule Flats Reserve, Viewbank

25 minutes north-east of Melbourne CBD. From Rosanna Road, turn into Banyule Road, and then left into Somerset Drive. For the best birdwatching results, follow the dirt track past the billabong (don’t use the main Yarra Trail — there are too many people and cyclists). See numerous waterfowl in the billabong and adjacent river, as well as Latham’s Snipe, resident waders, crakes and rails. Also look for Crested Shrike-tits and Mistletoebirds in the River Red Gums. This is one of the few places in Melbourne where you may find a Red-whiskered Bulbul.

Rifle Range Reserve, Smiths Gully

1 hour north-east of Melbourne CBD. Head north-east along Kangaroo Ground–St Andrews Road, and 3 kilometres past Panton Hill, turn right into Clintons Road, and then immediately left onto Smiths Gully Road. Then turn left into Salters Rush Road, and right into Rifle Range Road. Park at the locked gate. See White-winged Choughs and a variety of other bush birds.

Capertee Valley

3 hours north-west of Sydney. Head to Capertee and take the road to Glen Davis. Rich mosaic of box-ironbark woodland where you can see Plum-headed Finch, Regent Honeyeater, Swift Parrot, Painted Honeyeater, Speckled Warbler, Diamond Firetail, White-browed Babbler, Red-capped Robin.

Royal National Park

40 minutes south-west of Sydney. See a wide range of sandstone specialists and birds of the angophora forests, such as Rockwarbler, Superb Lyrebird, Pilotbird, Cicadabird, Little Lorikeet, Australian King-Parrot.

Fivebough Swamp, Leeton

6½ hours west of Sydney; 5½ hours north of Melbourne. See a range of waterbirds, including Australasian and Australian Little Bitterns, crakes and rails, Freckled Duck, Glossy Ibis, Brolga.

Hasties Swamp

1 hour south-west of Cairns. See a range of tropical waterbirds, such as Cotton and Green Pygmy-Geese, Radjah Shelduck, White-browed Crake, Sarus Crane.

Bajool Weir

30 minutes south of Rockhampton. Wetlands associated with the lower reaches of the Fitzroy River and its tributaries. See Yellow Chat, Radjah Shelduck, Cotton Pygmy-Goose.

Lamington National Park

90 minutes south of Brisbane. See wide range of rainforest species, including Regent Bowerbird, Albert’s Lyrebird, Rufous Scrub-bird, Paradise Riflebird.

Bool Lagoon

3½ hours south-east of Adelaide. At Struan, turn west into Bool Lagoon Road. Freshwater wetlands with dense reedbeds where you can see Australian Bittern, Australian Little Bittern, various crakes and rails, many species of waterfowl.

BirdLife Australia's Gluepot Reserve

3½ hours north-east of Adelaide; 1½ hours north of Waikerie. From Waikerie, head to Taylorville and turn up Lunn Road (follow the signs from there). See a range of mallee birds, including Red-lored Whistler, Malleefowl, Black-eared Miner, Scarlet-chested Parrot.

Lyndhurst

6 hours north of Adelaide. See arid-zone species, including Chestnut-breasted Whiteface, Chirruping Wedgebill, Thick-billed Grasswren.

Mary River Park

1 hour south-east of Darwin. Near the boundary of Kakadu National Park, see wide range of forest, woodland and riverine species, including Great-billed Heron, Black Bittern, Rainbow Pitta, Pacific Baza, Radjah Shelduck, Rufous Owl.

Pine Creek

2 hours south-east of Darwin. See Hooded Parrot, Northern Rosella, Gouldian Finch, Banded Honeyeater.

Alice Springs Sewage Farm

5 minutes south of Alice Springs. Numerous treatment ponds which attract many waterbirds in this otherwise arid area. See waterbirds, such as Glossy Ibis, Pink-eared Duck, Black-tailed Native-hen, Gull-billed Tern, and shorebirds including Red-kneed Dotterel, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Curlew.

King’s Park, Perth

5 minutes west of Perth. See Western Spinebill, Western Wattlebird, White-cheeked Honeyeater, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Sacred Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-Eater.

Cheynes Beach, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve

5 hours south-east of Perth; 20 minutes east of Albany. Low woodland, heathland and rushland support Western Bristlebird, Noisy Scrub-bird, Western Whipbird, Red-winged Fairy-wren, Red-eared Firetail, White-breasted Robin, Southern Emu-wren.

Roebuck Bay, Broome

20 minutes east of Broome at our Bird Observatory. See vast numbers of many different species of shorebirds on the beaches and mudflats; also mangrove specialists, such as Broad-billed Flycatcher, White-breasted Whistler and Mangrove Golden Whistler, and birds of the plains, including Oriental Plover, Yellow Wagtail and Little Curlew.

Herdsman Lake, Wembley

10 minutes north-west from Perth CBD. Travel along the Mitchell Freeway and exit at Powis Street, lest into Herdsman Parade and right into Selby Street. Great birding all year round. See a good variety of waterbirds, including Little Bitterns, as well as many bushbirds. There is a Field Centre to help you on your way.

Victoria Reservoir

30 minutes south-east of Perth. One of the few suburban locations where you can get a large number of the south-western Australian endemic species.

Lake McLarty

1 hour south of Perth, just south of Mandurah on Mills Road. The best spot for shorebirds near Perth, it is at its best between November and February but it is highly dependent on rainfall, often drying out in early to mid-summer.