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Birds of Tasmania

Tasmania has a rich bird fauna, including several 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.

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

• Hoary-headed grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus
• Australasian grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
• Great-crested grebe Podiceps cristatus ^**

Family Spheniscidae

• Little (Fairy) penguin Eudyptula minor

Family Diomedeidae

• 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

• Cape petrel Daption capense
• Blue petrel Halobaena caerulea
• Souhern giant-petrel Macronectes giganteus
• Northern giant-petrel Macronectes halli
• Antarctic prion Pachyptila desolata
• Fairy prion Pachyptila turtur
• White-headed petrel Pterodroma lessonii
• Soft-plumed petrel Pterodroma mollis
• Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus
• Short-tailed shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris

Family Oceanitidae

• Black-bellied storm-petrel Fregetta tropica
• Grey-backed storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
• White-faced storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina

Family Pelecanoididae

• Common diving-petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix

Family Pelecanidae

• Australian pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus

Family Sulidae

• Australasian gannet Morus serrator

Family Phalacrocoracidae

• Black-faced cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscescens
• Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
• Little pied cormorant Phalacrocorax elanoleucos
• Little black cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

Family Ardeidae

• 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

• 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

• Collared sparrowhawk Accipter cirrhocephalus
• Brown goshawk Accipiter fasciatus
• Grey goshawk Accipiter novaehollandiae
• Swamp harrier Circus approximans
• Whistling kite Haliastur sphenurus
• White-breasted sea eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster **
• Wedge-tailed eagle Aquila audax ^**

Family Falconidae

• Brown falcon Falco berigora
• Australian kestrel Falco cenchroides
• Australian hobby Falco longipennis
• Peregrine falcon Falco perigrinus

Family Turnicidae

• Painted button-quail Turnix varia

Family Phasianidae

• Brown quail Coturnix ypsilophora
• Stubble quail Coturnix pectoralis (novaezealandiae)

Family Rallidae

• Eurasian coot Fulica atra
• Tasmanian native hen Gallinula 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

• Pied oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris
• Sooty oystercatcher Harmatopus fuliginosus

Family Charadriidae

• 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

• 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

• Great skua Catharacta skua
• Arctic jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus
• Pomarine jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus

Family Laridae

• White-winged black tern Chlidonias leucopterus
• Caspian tern Sterna caspia
• Kelp gull Larus dominicanus
• Silver gull Larus novaehollandiae
• Pacific gull Larus pacificus
• Little tern Sterna albifrons
• Crested tern Sterna bergii
• Fairy tern Sterna nereis
• White-fronted tern Sterna striata
• Antarctic tern Sterna vittata

Family Columbidae

• Common bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera
• Brush bronzewing Phaps elegans

Family Cacatuidae

• Sulphur-crested cockatoo Cacatua galerita
• Galah Cacatua roseicapilla
• Yellow-tailed black cockatoo Calyptorhynchus funereus

Family Loriidae

• Musk lorikeet Glossopsitta concinna

Family Platycercidae

• Swift parrot Lathamus discolor
• Orange-bellied parrot Neophema chrysogaster ^**
• Blue-winged parrot Neophema chrysostoma
• Ground parrot Pezoporus wallicus ^**
• Green rosella Platycercus caledonicus ^*
• Eastern Rosella Platycerus eximius

Family Cuculidae

• Horsfields bronze-cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis
• Shining bronze-cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus
• Pallid cuckoo Cuculus pallidus
• Fan-tailed cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis

Family Strigidae

• Southern boobook Ninox novaehollandiae

Family Tytonidae

• Masked owl Tyto novaehollandiae

Family Podargidae

• Tawny frogmouth Podargus strigoides

Family Aegothelidae

• Australian owlet-nightjar Aegotheles cristatus

Family Apodidae

• Fork-tailed swift Apus pacificus
• White-throated needletail Hirundapus caudacutus

Family Alcedinidae

• Azure kingfisher Alcedo azurea

Family Hirundinidae

• Fairy martin Hirundo ariel
• Tree martin Hirundo nigricans
• Welcome swallow Hirundo neoxena

Family Motacillidae

• Richards pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae

Family Campephagidae

• Black-faced cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae

Family Muscicapidae

• Grey shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica
• Dusky robin Melanodryas vittata ^*
• Satin flycatcher Myiagra cyanoleuca
• Olive whistler Pachycephala olivacea
• Golden whistler Pachycephala pectoralis
• Pink robin Petroica rodinogaster
• Flame robin Petroica phoenicea
• Scarlet robin Petroica multicolor
• Grey fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa
• Bassian thrush Zoothera lunulata

Family Orthonychidae

• Spotted quail-thrush Cinclosoma punctatum

Family Sylviidae

• Clamorous reed warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus
• Golden-headed cisticola Cisticola exilis
• Little grassbird Megalurus gramineus

Family Maluridae

• Superb Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus
• Southern emu-wren Stipiturus malachurus

Family Acanthizidae

• 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

• Eastern spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
• Little Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera
• Yellow wattlebird Anthochaera paradoxa ^*
• Yellow-throated honeyeater Lichenostomus flavicollis ^*
• Noisy miner Manorina melancephala
• Black-headed honeyeater Melithreptus affinus ^*
• Strong-billed honeyeater Melithreptus validirostris ^*
• Tawny-crowned honeyeater Phylidonyris melanops
• New Holland Honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
• Crescent honeyeater Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera

Family Ephthianuridae

• White-fronted chat Epthianura albifrons

Family Pardalotidae

• Spotted pardalote Pardalotus punctatus
• Forty-spotted pardalote Pardalotus quadragintus ^{* **}
• Striated pardalote Pardalotus striatus

Family Zosteropidae

• Silvereye Zosterops lateralis

Family Ploceidae

• Beautiful firetail Stagonopleura bella

Family Artamidae

• Dusky woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus

Family Cracticidae

• Grey butcherbird Cracticus torquatus
• Australian magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
• Black currawong Strepera fuliginosa ^*
• Grey currawong Strepera versicolor

Family Corvidae

• 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
• Rainbow lorikeet Trichoglossus haemotodus