BirdLife Australia Autumn 2026 Magazine

Extreme heat is emerging as one of the greatest threats to tropical birds. Drawing on global research, James Watson reveals how rising temperatures are already driving steep population declines—and why Australia’s tropical species may be among the most vulnerable. 

Also in this issue: 

• Fairies of the Coorong  On the shifting sands of the Coorong, every Fairy Tern chick counts. Natasha Harris follows Kerri Bartley and Ngarrindjeri rangers working to protect this tiny threatened seabird in one of Australia’s most fragile and important wetland systems. 

• A wetland reborn From weed-choked pasture to thriving wetland, Alex Croft revisits the amazing transformation of Mungalla Station. 

• A curlew calls  Revered, mysterious and increasingly rare, the Bush Stone-curlew is a bird that stirs strong feelings. Olivia Hewitt traces its declines across Australia’s woodlands. 

• Follow that swallow  Do all Welcome Swallows migrate north for winter? Not quite. John Peter explores the surprising reality of Australia’s ‘partial migrant’, revealing why some swallows head for the tropics while others tough out the southern cold—and how both strategies can pay off.