List of birds of Australia



This is a list of the wild birds found in Australia including its outlying islands and territories, but excluding the Australian Antarctic Territory. The outlying islands covered include: Christmas, Cocos (Keeling), Ashmore, Torres Strait, Coral Sea, Lord Howe, Norfolk, Macquarie, and Heard/McDonald. The list includes introduced species, common vagrants and recently extinct species. It excludes extirpated introductions (e.g. Ostrich), some very rare vagrants (seen once) and species only present in captivity. Eight hundred and forty-two extant species are listed.

The taxonomy followed is from Christidis and Boles, 2008. Their system has been developed over nearly two decades and has strong local support, but deviates in important ways from more generally accepted schemes.

Casuaries and relatives
Order: Casuariformes. Family: Casuariidae This family of flightless ratite birds is represented by two living species in Australia, another two having perished since human settlement.

Mound-builders
Order: Galliformes. Family: Megapodidae

Pheasants
Order: Galliformes. Family: Phasianidae

The Phasianidae is a family of birds which 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. Three species are native to Australia, and five commonly domesticated species are feral.

Guineafowl
Order: Galliformes. Family: Numididae

Magpie Goose
Order: Anseriformes. Family: Anseranatidae

The family contains a single species, the Magpie Goose. It was an early and distinctive offshoot of the anseriform family tree, diverging after screamers and before all other ducks, geese and swans, sometime in the late Cretaceous. The single species is found across Australia.

Ducks, geese, and swans
Order: Anseriformes. Family: Anatidae

The family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese 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. In Australia, 26 species have been recorded, of which three have been introduced, and three are vagrants.

Tropicbirds
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their long wings have black markings, as does the head. Two species have been recorded from Australian waters.

Grebes
Order: Podicipediformes. Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small- to medium-large-sized 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. Three species have been regularly recorded in Australia, and a fourth is a vagrant.

Pigeons and doves
Order: Columbiformes. Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. 31 species have been recorded in Australian territory, five of which have been introduced, and another three are vagrants. Three have become extinct since European colonisation.

Frogmouths
Order: Podargiformes. Family: Podargidae

The frogmouths are a distinctive group of small nocturnal birds related to swifts found from India across southern Asia to Australia. Three species are found in Australia.

Nightjars
Order: Caprimulgiformes Families: Eurostopodidae and Caprimulgidae

Owlet-nightjars
Order: Aegotheliformes. Family: Aegothelidae

The owlet-nightjars are a distinctive group of small nocturnal birds related to swifts found from the Maluku Islands and New Guinea to Australia and New Caledonia. There are eleven species, one of which is found in Australia.

Swifts
Order: Apodiformes. Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small aerial birds, spending 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 that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. There are 98 species worldwide, with eight recorded in Australian territory, four of which are vagrants.

Storm-petrels
Order: Procellariiformes. Family: Hydrobatidae

The storm-petrels are the smallest of seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. Their flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. One species has been regularly recorded in Tasmania's waters, and two more are vagrants.

Albatrosses
Order: Procellariiformes. Family: Diomedeidae

The albatrosses are a family of 21 species of large seabird found across the Southern and North Pacific Oceans. The largest are among the largest flying birds in the world. Nine species are regularly seen in Australian waters, with another recorded as a vagrant.

Fulmars, petrels and shearwaters
Order: Procellariiformes. Family: Procellariidae The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterized by united nostrils with medium nasal septum, and a long outer functional primary flight feather. 51 species have been recorded from Australian waters.

Penguins
Order: Sphenisciformes. Family: Spheniscidae Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. One species breeds on the Australian coast, while another ten have been recorded as vagrants.

Frigatebirds
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Fregatidae

Boobies and gannets
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.Six species have been recorded from Australian territory.

Darters
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Anhingidae

Darters are cormorant-like water birds with long necks and long, straight bills. They often swim with only the neck above water, and are fish-eaters. One species is found in Australia.

Cormorants
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of colored skin on the face. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed, a distinguishing feature among the Pelecaniformes order. Six species occur in Australian territory, with a seventh as a vagrant.

Pelicans
Order: Pelecaniformes. Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under the bill. Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes. One species has been recorded in Australia.

Storks
Order: Ciconiiformes. Family: Ciconiidae

Bitterns, herons and egrets
Order: Ciconiiformes. Family: Ardeidae



Ibis and spoonbills
Order: Ciconiiformes. Family: Threskiornithidae

Hawks, kites and eagles
Order: Acciptriformes. Family: Accipitridae

Osprey
Order: Acciptriformes. Family: Pandionidae

Falcons
Order: Falconiformes. Family: Falconidae

Cranes
Order: Gruiformes. Family: Gruidae

Rails, crakes, and coots
Order: Gruiformes. Family: Rallidae

Bustards
Order: Gruiformes. Family: Otididae

Sheathbills
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Chionididae

Stone-curlews (thick-knees)
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Burhinidae

Oystercatchers
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Haematopodidae

Avocets and stilts
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Recurvirostridae

Plovers and lapwings
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Charadriidae

Plains Wanderer
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Pedionomidae

Jacanas
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Jacanidae

Painted Snipe
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Rostratulidae

Waders or shorebirds
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Scolopacidae



Button-quail
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Turnicidae

Pratincoles
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Glareolidae

Skuas
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Stercorariidae

Gulls and terns
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Laridae



Parrots and allies
Order: Psittaciformes Families: Strigopidae, Cacatuidae and Psittacidae

Cuckoos
Order: Cuculiformes. Family: Cuculidae

True owls
Order: Strigiformes. Family: Strigidae

Barn owls
Order: Strigiformes. Family: Tytonidae

River kingfishers
Order: Coraciiformes. Family: Alcedinidae

Tree kingfishers
Order: Coraciiformes. Family: Halcyonidae

Bee-eaters
Order: Coraciiformes. Family: Meropidae

Rollers
Order: Coraciiformes. Family: Coraciidae

Pittas
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Pittidae

Lyrebirds
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Menuridae

Scrub-birds
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Atrichornithidae

Treecreepers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Climacteridae

Bowerbirds and catbirds
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Ptilonorhynchidae

Fairy-wrens, emu-wrens and grasswrens
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Maluridae



Bristlebirds
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Dasyornithidae

Scrubwrens, thornbills and allies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Acanthizidae



Pardalotes
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Pardalotidae

Honeyeaters
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Meliphagidae



Babblers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Pomatostomidae

Logrunner and chowchilla
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Orthonychidae

Quail-thrush, whipbirds and wedgebills
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Psophodidae

Sittella
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Neosittidae

Cuckoo-shrikes and trillers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Campephagidae

Whistlers and allies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Pachycephalidae

Figbird and orioles
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Oriolidae

Currawongs, woodswallows, butcherbirds & allies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Artamidae

Drongo
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Dicruridae

Fantails
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Rhipiduridae

Shrikes
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Laniidae

Magpie, crows and ravens
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Corvidae

Monarch Flycatchers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Monarchidae

Chough and apostlebird
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Corcoracidae

Birds of Paradise, riflebirds
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Paradisaeidae

Australasian robins
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Petroicidae



Larks
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Alaudidae

Cisticolas and allies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Cisticolidae

Reed-Warblers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Acrocephalidae

Grassbirds, songlarks and allies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Megaluridae

White-eyes
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Zosteropidae

Old World warblers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sylviidae

Leaf-warblers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Phylloscopidae

Swallows
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Hirundinidae

Bulbuls
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Pycnonotidae

Old World flycatchers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Muscicapidae

Thrushes and allies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Turdidae

Starlings
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sturnidae

Sunbirds and spiderhunters
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Nectariniidae

Australasian finches, firetails and waxbills
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Estrildidae



Old World sparrows
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Passeridae

Wagtails and pipits
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Motacillidae



Finches, crossbills and allies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Fringillidae

Buntings, seedeaters and allies
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Emberizidae