Tasmania has a rich bird fauna, including twelve species which are confined to the State (i.e endemic). See our pages on our endemic birds for further details.
Tasmania is also home to a number of threatened bird species.
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To discover more about some of our bird fauna, choose a species from the following complete Tasmanian bird list:
Tasmanian Bird List
- * = endemic
- ** =listed as rare or threatened
Family Podicipedidae
Grebes
- Hoary-headed grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus
- Australasian grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
- Great-crested grebe Podiceps cristatus **
Family Spheniscidae
Penguins
Family Diomedeidae
Albatrosses
- Black-browed albatross Diomedea melanophris
- Grey-headed albatross Diomedea chrysostoma
- Shy albatross Diomedea cauta **
- Wandering albatross Diomedea exulans
- Light-mantled albatross Phoebetria palpebrata **
Family Procellariidae
Fulmarine petrels, gadfly petrels, prions, shearwaters
- Cape petrel Daption capense
- Blue petrel Halobaena caerulea
- Southern giant-petrel Macronectes giganteus
- Northern giant-petrel Macronectes halli
- Antarctic prion Pachyptila desolata
- Fairy prion Pachyptila turtur
- White-headed petrel Pterodroma lessonii
- Soft-plumaged petrel Pterodroma mollis
- Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus
- Short-tailed shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris
Family Hydrobatidae
Storm petrels
- Black-bellied storm-petrel Fregetta tropica
- Grey-backed storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
- White-faced storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina
Family Pelecanoididae
Diving petrels
- Common diving-petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix
Family Pelecanidae
Pelicans
Family Sulidae
Gannets and boobies
Family Phalacrocoracidae
Cormorants and shags
Family Ardeidae
Herons, night herons, egrets and bitterns
- White-faced heron Egretta novaehollandiae
- Cattle egret Ardea ibis
- Australasian bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus
- Great egret Ardea alba
- Little egret Egretta garzetta
- Intermediate egret Egretta intermedia
- Nankeen night heron Nycticorax caledonicus
Family Anatidae
Swans, geese and ducks
- Chestnut teal Anas castanea
- Grey teal Anas gracilis
- Australasian shoveler Anas rhynchotis
- Pacific black Anas superciliosa
- Musk duck Biziura lobata
- Cape Barren goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae
- Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata
- Black swan Cygnus atratus
- Blue-billed duck Oxyura australis
- Australian shelduck Tadoma tadornoides
Family Accipitridae
Osprey, hawks, eagles and harriers
Family Falconidae
Falcons, hobbies and kestrels
Family Turnicidae
Button-quails
- Painted button-quail Turnix varia
Family Phasianidae
Quails
- Brown quail Coturnix ypsilophora
- Stubble quail Coturnix pectoralis (novaezealandiae)
Family Rallidae
Crakes, coots, rails and gallinules
- Eurasian coot Fulica atra
- Tasmanian native hen Tribonyx mortierii*
- Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa
- Purple swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio
- Australian crake Porzana fluminea
- Baillons crake Porzana pusilla
- Spotless crake Porzana tabuensis
- Lewins rail Rallus pectoralis
- Buff-banded rail Rallus philippensis
Family Haematopodidae
Oystercatchers
Family Charadriidae
Plovers, dotterels and lapwings
- Double-banded plover Charadrius bicinctus
- Black-fronted dotterel Elseyornis melanops
- Lesser sand plover Charadrius mongolus
- Hooded plover Thinornis rubricollis
- Red-capped plover Charadrius ruficapillus
- Red-kneed dotterel Erythogonys cinctus
- Pacific golden plover Pluvialis fulva
- Grey plover Pluvialis squatarola
- Masked lapwing Vanellus miles
- Banded lapwing Vanellus tricolor
Family Scolopacidae
Snipe, godwits, curlews, sandpipers, stints and phalaropes
- Ruddy turnstone Arenaria interpres
- Sharp-tailed sandpiper Calidris acuminata
- Sanderling Calidris alba
- Dunlin Calidris alpina
- Red knot Calidris canutus
- Curlew sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
- Pectoral sandpiper Calidris melanotos
- Little stint Calidris minuta
- Red-necked stint Calidris ruficollis
- Great knot Calidris tenuirostris
- Lathams snipe Gallinago hardwickii
- Bar-tailed goodwit Limosa lapponica
- Black-tailed goodwit Limosa limosa
- Eastern curlew Numenius madagascariensis
- Little curlew Numenius minutus
- Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
- Grey-tailed tattler Heteroscelus brevipes
- Wood sandpiper Tringa glareola
- Common sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos
- Common greenshank Tringa nebularia
- Marsh sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
- Terek sandpiper Xenus cinereus
Family Stercorariidae
Skuas and jaegers
- Great skua Catharacta skua
- Arctic jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus
- Pomarine jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus
Family Laridae
Gulls and terns
Family Columbidae
Pigeons and doves
Family Cacatuidae
Cockatoos, corellas and cockatiel
Family Psittacidae
Parrots, including lorikeets and rosellas
Family Cuculidae
Cuckoos
- Horsfields bronze-cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis
- Shining bronze-cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus
- Pallid cuckoo Cacomantis pallidus
- Fan-tailed cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis
Family Strigidae
True owls
Family Tytonidae
Barn (or Masked) Owls
Family Podargidae
Frogmouths
Family Aegothelidae
Owlet-nightjars
- Australian owlet-nightjar Aegotheles cristatus
Family Apodidae
Swifts and swiftlets
- Fork-tailed swift Apus pacificus
- White-throated needletail Hirundapus caudacutus
Family Alcedinidae
Kingfishers
- Azure kingfisher Alcedo azurea
Family Hirundinidae
Swallows and martins
- Fairy martin Hirundo ariel
- Tree martin Hirundo nigricans
- Welcome swallow Hirundo neoxena
Family Motacillidae
Pipits
Family Campephagidae
Cuckoo-shrikes
Family Muscicapidae
Family Petroicidae
Australian robins
Family Pachycephalidae
Whislers and shrike-thrushes
Family Dicruridae
Flycatchers and Fantails
- Satin flycatcher Myiagra cyanoleuca
- Grey fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa
Family Cinclosomatidae
- Spotted quail-thrush Cinclosoma punctatum
Family Sylviidae
Warblers
- Clamorous reed warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus
- Golden-headed cisticola Cisticola exilis
- Little grassbird Megalurus gramineus
Family Maluridae
Fairy-wrens and emu-wrens
Family Acanthizidae
Scrubwrens and thornbills
- Yellow-rumped thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
- Tasmanian thornbill Acanthiza ewingii *
- Brown thornbill Acanthiza pusilla
- Tasmanian Scrubwren Sericornis humilis *
- Striated fieldwren Calamanthus fuliginosus
- Scrubtit Acanthornis magnus *
Family Meliphagidae
Honeyeaters and chats
- White-fronted chat Epthianura albifrons
Family Pardalotidae
Pardalotes
Family Zosteropidae
White-eyes
Family Ploceidae
Australian grassfinches
Family Artamidae
Woodswallows
Family Cracticidae
Butcherbirds and currawongs
Family Corvidae
Ravens and crows
- Little raven Corvus mellori
- Forest raven Corvus tasmanicus
Introduced Species
- Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae
- Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
- Mute swan Cygnus olor
- California quail Lophortyx californicus
- Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
- Common pheasant Phasianus colchicus
- Weka Gallirallus australis
- Rock dove Columba livia
- Spotted turtle-dove Streptopelia chinensis
- Little corella Cacatua sanguinea
- Long-billed corella Cacatua tenuirostris
- Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus
- Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus
- Laughing kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
- Superb lyrebird Menura novaehollandiae
- Skylark Alauda arvensis
- Blackbird Turdus merula
- European greenfinch Carduelis chloris
- European goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
- House sparrow Passer domesticus
- Common starling Sturnus vulgaris
Rarely-sighted Species
- King penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus rare visitor from subantarctic
- Gentoo penguin Pygoscelis papua 2 records
- Chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarctica 1 record
- Adelie penguin Pygoscelis adeliae 1 record
- Erect-crested penguin Eudyptes sclateri 1 record
- Rockhopper penguin Eudyptula chrysocome
- Fiordland penguin Eudyptes pachyrhynchus
- Snares penguin Eudyptes robustus 1 record
- Royal penguin Eudyptes schlegeli 7 records
- Yellow-nosed albatross Diomedea chlororhynchos
- Royal albatross Diomedea epomophora
- Sooty albatross Phoebetria fusca
- Southern fulmar Fulmarus glacialoides
- Slender-billed prion Pachyptila belcheri
- Salvins prion Pachyptila salvini
- Broad-billed prion Pachyptila vittata
- White-chinned petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis
- Grey petrel Procellaria cinerea
- Westland petrel Procellaria westlandica
- Kerguelen petrel Pterodroma brevirostris
- Mottled petrel Pterodroma inexpectata
- Goulds petrel Pterodroma leucoptera
- Great-winged petrel Pterodroma macroptera
- Black-winged petrel Pterodroma nigripennis
- Providence petrel Pterodroma solandri
- Little shearwater Puffinus assimilis
- Bullers shearwater Puffinus bulleri
- Flesh-footed shearwater Puffinus carneipes
- Fluttering shearwater Puffinus gavia
- Huttons shearwater Puffinus huttoni
- Wedge-tailed shearwater Puffinus pacificus
- Antarctic petrel Thalassoica antarctica
- White-bellied storm-petrel Fregetta grallaria
- Wilsons storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
- Red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda
- Darter Anhinga melanogaster
- Pied cormorant Phalacrocorax varius
- White-necked heron Ardea pacifica
- Eastern reef egret Egretta sacra
- Yellow-billed spoonbill Platalea flavipes
- Royal spoonbill Platalea regia
- Glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus
- Australian white ibis Threskiornis molucca
- Straw-necked ibis Threskiornis spinicollis
- Magpie goose Anseranus semipalmata
- Hardhead Aythya australis
- Plumed whistling-duck Dendrocygna eytoni
- Pink-eared duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus
- Freckled duck Stictonetta naevosa
- Little lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla
- Rainbow lorikeet Trichoglossus haemotodus
- Spotted harrier Circus assimilis no confirmed records
- Black kite Milvus migrans
- Black-breasted buzzard Hamirostra melanosternon
- Little eagle Hieraeetus morphnoides 1 record on Curtis Is, Bass Strait
- Australian black-shouldered kite Elanus notatus
- Black falcon Falco subniger
- Osprey Pandion haliaetus 3 records
- Black-tailed native hen Gallinula ventralis
- Bush stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius
- Painted snipe Rostratula benghalensis
- Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius
- Greater sand plover Charadrius leschenaultii
- Oriental plover Charadrius veredus
- Banded stilt Cladorhynchus leucocephalus
- Black-winged stilt Himantopus himantopus
- Red-necked avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae
- Bairds sandpiper Calidris bairdii
- Western sandpiper Calidris mauri
- Ruff Philomachus pugnax
- Buff-breasted sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis
- Red-necked phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
- South polar skua Catharacta maccormicki
- Long-tailed skua Stercorarius longicauda
- Whiskered tern Chlidonias hybridus
- Gull-billed tern Gelochelidon nilotica
- Bridled tern Sterna anaetheetus
- Common tern Sterna hirundo
- Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea
- Topknot pigeon Lopholaimus antarcticus
- Rose-crowned fruit-dove Ptilinopus regina
- Superb fruit-dove Ptilinopus superbus
- Gang-gang cockatoo Callocephalon fimbriatum
- Little lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla