Birds of Australia: Common, Unusual and Endangered Species | Sea Life, Islands and Oceania

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BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA

From “What bird is that? A guide to the birds of Australia” (1947)

Australia and its offshore islands and territories are home to around 900 bird species. Of these 165 are considered vagrant or accidental visitors. Of the remaining 735 species over 45 percent are classified as endemic to Australia, meaning they are found nowhere else on earth. These including the shell parakeet, or budgie, and more than 53 different kinds of cockatoos and parrots. Among the more interesting ones are the sulphur crested cockatoo, the largest of all cockatoos. Kookaburra, a large kingfisher species, and known for their lilting laugh. It has been suggested that up to 10 percent of Australian bird species may go extinct by the year 2100 as a result of climate change.

There is a wide variety cockatoos, parrots, lorikeets, parakeets and rosellas in Australia. These birds are related to macaws found in Latin America and parrots and parakeets found in other parts of the world. Parrots, pelicans, cockatoos, black swans, red-and-green and red-and-blue parrots are so plentiful they are said to be as common as pigeons in America. Many of the most colorful birds in Australia are parakeets and finches. Several similar species share the same territory and the colors help each species recognize their own won kind.

Settlers often gave erroneous names to plants and animals, placing them in the wrong biological families, because they bore a passing resemblances to plants and animals found back home. One bird with a red breast, for example, was named a robin even though it was a flycatcher. [Source: David Attenborough, The Private Life of Plants, Princeton University Press, 1995]

The Genyornsi was a 400-pound flightless bird that became extinct about 50,000 years ago. Scientists think humans caused its extinction because the first humans arrived about 60,000 years ago and vegetation was plentiful at the time of their extinction.

The Magpie-Lark is an attractive and familiar Australian bird. Australian parakeets are common pets. Ilsa Sharp wrote in “CultureShock! Australia”: When the first white settlers arrived in 1788, one of them, surgeon Arthur Bowes Smyth, remarked that as his ship hove into what was to be Sydney Harbour: ‘The singing of the various birds among the trees, and the flights of the numerous parraquets, lorrequets, cockatoos and maccaws, made all around appear like an enchantment.’ [Source: Ilsa Sharp, “CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette: Australia”, Marshall Cavendish, 2009]

Unique avifauna include the Black Swan. Of all the Australian birds, the ‘laughing’ Kookaburra is perhaps the most widely known. It is quite a cheeky bird. The few times I have been out to use the public barbecue pits in Perth’s King’s Park, there have always been a couple of these quite large and handsome birds sitting beside me on my log seat, hinting that they would like to be offered a few slivers of meat, please. In Western Australia, they are unwanted guests, being eastern states birds not native to the West. Very Australian too are the 50 species of parrot, from the brightly colored Rosella and exotically multi-hued Rainbow Lorikeet (my friend Arshak in Sydney calls these lorikeets down to his garden, to feed in psychedelic flocks perched all over his body), to the black-capped, yellow neck-ringed, green ‘Twentyeight’ or Ring-necked Parrot, and the familiar Cockatoo.

We must not forget the Fairy Penguins, resident on Victoria’s Phillip Island; their nightly ‘parade’ is a big tourist draw. Personal favourites of mine are the stately Pelican found almost everywhere, the majestic 1.5-meter tall Brolga crane, symbol of the Northern Territory, the delicate little Honeyeaters sucking nectar from the red Grevillea flowers in my garden, the cackling Wattle-bird with his dangling red neck lappets and the large crow-like black and white Magpie whose bell-like chortling always means ‘home’ to me when I am in Perth.

Eagles in Australia

1) crested hawk; 2) black-breasted buzzard, 3) Osprey, 4) fork-tailed kite, 5) square-tailed kite, 6) red-backed sea eagle, 7) whistling eagle, 8) little eagel, 9) wedge-tailed eagle, 10) white-bellied sea eagle

Australia has three native eagle species: wedge-tailed eagles, white-bellied sea eagles, and Sanford's sea eagles. Wedge-tailed eagles are Australia's largest mainland bird. They have a distinctive wedge-shaped tail and a wing span that reaches 1.8 meters (six feet). They are often seen in the Outback soaring high in sky or on the roads feeding on road kills.

Wedge-tailed eagles (Aquila audax) are also known as eaglehawks. Adults have long, broad wings, fully feathered legs, and a strong beak and powerful feet. One of Australia’s most generalised birds of prey, they reside in most habitats present in there, ranging from desert and semi-desert to plains to mountainous areas to forest, sometimes even tropical rainforests. They prefer a fairly varied topography including rocky areas, some open terrain and native woodlots such as Eucalyptus stands. They hunt wide range of prey, including birds and reptiles, but are mammal predator. Introduced European rabbits are one of their main prey animals. They also take various kinds of marsupials, including some surprisingly large macropods (kangaroo and wallabies). Additionally, wedge-tailed eagles often eat carrion, especially while young. species tends to pair for several years, possibly mating for life. Wedge-tailed eagles are not endangered or threatened. They are designated as a species of least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

White-bellied sea eagles (Haliaeetus leucogaster) are also called white-breasted sea eagles and white-bellied fish eagles. They are found in coastal areas throughout south southeast Asia and Oceania. They range from southern China in the north to Australia and Tasmania, in the south and as far west as India and as far east as New Guinea, and many islands in Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. See White-Bellied Sea Eagles Under BIRDS IN ASIA: ARGUSES, IBISES, EAGLES, RARE SPECIES factsanddetails.com

Large Water Birds of Australia

Among Australia’s most stunning birds are royal spoonbills ((Platalea regia) — 1.1-meter (three-and-half-foot) tall, snowy birds which nest in the Lake Cowal area of New South Wales. Above the black glossy spoonbill are two red eyes and above them are yellow eyelids, which make these birds look wide awake even when it is sleeping. This method of deception is used to keep predators — namely ravens and 1.3-meter (four foot) -long monitor lizards — away from their nests. Royal spoonbills live in wetlands and feeds on crustaceans, fish and small insects by sweeping their bill from side to side. During courtship rituals and other social displays their bold head plumes — normally matted down — flair up into nature version’s of a Phyllis Diller wig. This "war bonnet" may have hundreds of feathers, some measuring 14 centimeters (six inches) long.

1) black-tailed water hen; 2) Tasmanian water hen; 3) dusky water hen; 4) chestnut rail; 5) Eastern swamp hen, 6) Western swamp hen, 7) coot, 8) crested grebe, 9) darter, 10) glossey ibis, 11) white ibis, 12) staw-necked ibis, 13) royal spoonbill, 14) yellow-billed spoonbill, 15) great-billed heron, 16) little egret, 17) plumed egret, 18) egret, 19) white-faced heron, 20) white-necked heron, 21) pied heron, 22) black cormorant, 23) little black cormorant, 24) white-breasted cormorant, 25) pied cormorant, 26) little pied cormorant

Black-necked storks ( (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) stand over one meter (3.3 feet) tall and have a large head. Found in wetlands throughout eastern and northern Australia, they boast an iridescent green-black neck, black and white body and reddish-orange legs. These birds have a a 2.3-meter (7.6 foot) wingspan and weigh up to 4.1 kilograms (9.0 pounds). In Australia, they are known as a jabiru although that name refers to a stork species found in the Americas.

Brolgas (Antigone rubicunda) are another large wetlands bird. Found primarily in northern and to a lesser degree eastern Australia as well as New Guinea, they have red markings on their head and stand over one meter (3.3 feet) high and have a wingspan up to 2.4 meters (7.8 feet). Formerly known as native companions, these birds are members of the crane family and are common, gregarious wetland birds. They have a small head, long beak, slender neck, and long legs. Their plumage is mainly grey, with black wing tips. The brolga's courting dance is similar to that of other cranes. The nest is built of wetland vegetation, either on an elevated piece of land or floating on shallow water in marshland. Adults are omnivorous, eating plant matter, invertebrates, and small vertebrates.

Endangered Birds of Australia

Australia is home to several endangered bird species, including the orange-bellied parrot, regent honeyeater, and eastern curlew. Many of these birds face threats from habitat loss and deforestation, mainly due to logging and the clearing of native vegetation for agriculture and urbanization, and introduced predators, such as foxes, cats, and rats which prey on native birds and competitors like rabbits and deer that can outcompete native birds for resources. Human activities such as those resulting in bushfires and development can fragment and destroy bird habitats. Climate change influences rainfall patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and rising temperatures — all of which can negatively impact bird breeding, migration, and food availability.

Lord Howe Woodhens were once one of the rarest bird in the world is the . Inhabitants of small mountain top rain forest on Lord Howe island, these flightless rails feed on worms that live among the ferns and mosses that cover the island. At one time there were only 30 birds remaining but a captive breeding program and the reduction of introduced rodents and predators helped the population rebound to 208 birds in 2019 and 1,638 in 2024.

from The Conversatiom

Notable endangered birds include Eastern Curlews, endangered migratory shorebirds facing threats during its migration and in its Australian feeding grounds; Black-Eared Miners, honeyeaters with a declining population threatened by to habitat loss and degradation; Malleefowl , ground-dwelling birds facing threats from habitat loss and fragmentation; and Plains-wanderer, a unique ground bird threatened by habitat loss and degradation.

Southern Cassowaries are large, flightless birds vulnerable to habitat loss, vehicle strikes, and dog attacks. King Island Brown Thornbills is a subspecies of brown thornbill considered one of the most threatened birds in Australia. King Island Scrubtits are critically endangered and found only on King Island,

Among the endangered parrots are Orange-Bellied Parrots, critically endangered with a very small population, primarily found in Tasmania; Night Parrots, elusive and nocturnal birds, regarded as one of the rarest birds in the world, with a very small and scattered population.; Swift Parrots, critically endangered migratory parrots facing threats from habitat loss, competition with other species, and predation; and Western Ground Parrots, critically endangered parrots , with a very small and fragmented population in Western Australia.

Conservation Efforts include: 1) Habitat Restoration, planting native vegetation, restoring wetlands, and protecting existing habitats are crucial for supporting bird populations; 2) Predator Control, managing feral animals like foxes and cats can help reduce predation pressure on native birds; 3) Community Engagement, raising awareness about the importance of bird conservation and encouraging community involvement in conservation efforts; and 4) Climate change mitigation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing adaptation strategies that can help mitigate the impacts of climate change on birds.

Regent Honeyeaters — So Endangered They’re Forgetting Their Song

Regent honeyeaters are critically endangered birds native to southeastern Australia with a population of only around 300 individuals. Their numbers have declined so sharply due to the loss and degradation of 90 percent of their habitat that some individuals are forgetting their unique song. The low number of birds has resulted in young birds not having a enough interaction with other birds to learn their species-specific calls. Instead the young birds mimick birds from other species or sing versions of their own song that are too rudimentary to attract mates. [Source: Victoria Gill, BBC, March 17, 2021, Google AI]

Due to the small and isolated populations, young regent honeyeaters struggle to learn the complex, traditional song from older birds, which is crucial for attracting mates. Some young regent honeyeaters mimick the songs of friarbirds and cuckooshrikes. Others sing simplified versions of their own song, with fewer syllables than the traditional melody. "They don't get the chance to hang around with other honeyeaters and learn what they're supposed to sound like," Dr Ross Crates.a member of the Difficult Bird Research Group at the Australian National University in Canberra, told the BBC

According to a study published in the UK Royal Society journal Proceedings B in March 2021, females are less likely to mate with males who sing songs different from the regional norm, potentially hindering reproduction and further threatening the species' survival. Scientists are working to preserve the regent honeyeater's song by teaching captive-bred birds the songs of their wild relatives, hoping to reintroduce them into the wild with the correct song patterns.

Researchers had not set out to study the song of the regent honeyeater, but simply to find the birds. "They're so rare and the area they could occupy is so big - probably 10 times the size of the UK - that we were looking for a needle in a haystack," Dr Crates told the BBC. During their search, the scientists started to notice birds that were "singing weird songs". Crates said, "They didn't sound anything like a regent honeyeater - they sounded like different species."

The natural song of the regent honeyeater has essentially "disappeared" in 12 percent of the population, the research revealed. "As young birds, when they leave the nest and go out into the big wide world, they need to associate with other, older males so they can listen to them sing and repeat that song over time," said Dr Crates. The regent honeyeater population is so small and sparsely distributed that young males are simply unable to find other males and hear their songs. "So they end up learning the songs of other species," Dr Crates said.

Unusual and Introduced Birds in Australia

Australian honey-guides use hair as padding for their delicate eggs in their nest. These birds are so fond of hair they sometimes some pluck it from horses backs or human's heads. Moundbuilder birds of Australia are born with feathers and can fly immediately after they hatch from an egg.

The “funniest forager” is the bassian thrush of eastern Australia, which farts repeatedly when feeding. The flatulence, it is said, startles earthworms into revealing their location.[Source Extreme Birds: The World’s Most Extraordinary and Bizarre Birds” By Dominic Couzens]

Orange-footed scrubfowls (Megapodius reinwardt) are also known as orange-footed megapode or simply scrubfowl. They are chicken-size birds found in Australia and southeastern Indonesia that make nests out of sand and decomposing leaves and sticks that are 6.5 meters (20 feet) in diameter Heat generated by the decomposing material incubates the eggs. See MEGAPODE AND MALEO: CHARACTERISTICS, BEHAVIOR, NEST MOUNDS factsanddetails.com

Bustards are tasty but endangered birds that mate for life and grieve their spouse when they die. One Queensland hunter told writer Paul Theroux he had a solution to the problem of the grieving mate: "Shoot 'em both."∝

1) white-tailed kingfisher, 2) brush cuckoo, 3) rufous fantail, 4) bent-billed flycatcher, 5) pied flycatcher, 6) frill-necked flycatcher, 7) black-face flycatcher, 8) pearly flycatcher, 9) spectacled flycatcher, 10) white-eared flycatcher, 11) white-breasted robin, 12) grey-headed robin, 13) white browed robin, 14) buff-sided robin, 15) northern yellow robin, 16) pale yellow robin, 17) white-faced robin, 18) golden whistler, 19) olive whistler, 20) rufous shrike-thrush, 21) bower shrike-thrush, 22) eastern whip-bird, 23) western whip-bird

Starlings and sparrows were introduced in great numbers to Australia to eat insects. They didn’t eat many of the insects it was hoped they would eat but their numbers grew. Starling are native to Eurasia and North Africa. They and introduced black birds have crowded out native bird species by taking over their nests and consuming insects native birds have traditionally eaten to survive. Farmers despise them because they eat crops and foul animal feed.

Other introduced bird species in Australia include song thrushes, linnets, robins, redpolls, skylarks, goldfinches, greenfinches, bullfinches, chaffinches, bramblings and yellowhammers. Some failed to survive. Others flourished and drove out native species, Secretary birds were introduced from Africa to eat snakes, They didn’t survive long.

Did the Earliest Songbirds Originate in Australia

Nightingales, mockingbirds and songbirds around the world originated in Australia then populated the rest of the globe, a DNA study published in July 2004 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests. Judy Skatssoon of ABC wrote: Until relatively recently, researchers had believed the opposite, that sparrows, finches, wrens, crows, canaries, ravens and sparrows originated in Europe and north America, then had populated Australia. Research led by Dr Keith Barker from the Bell Museum of Natural History in Minnesota looked at the passerines, or perching birds, which make up half the world's birds. Three-quarters of passerines are songbirds. [Source: Judy Skatssoon, ABC, July 20, 2004

The scientists conducted the largest ever analysis of passerine DNA to trace the origins of perching birds back to the super-continent Gondwana. The study showed passerines originated in Western Gondwana, which split into Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica, with the sub-species of songbirds evolving in what is now Australia.

Assistant director of the Australian Museum in Sydney, Associate Professor Les Christidis said the study built on research by Australian authors, including himself, in the late 1980s. He said the suggestion that songbirds originated in Australia was considered "ludicrous" when it was first published. "When we first suggested this ...we got laughed at by the Americans," he said. "Australia doesn't have that many birds relative to the rest of the world, so how could it be the centre of everything? It turns out that lowly Australia really is the centre. Australia can lay claim to the songbirds without a shadow of a doubt."

He said passerine birds found along the east coast of Australia, such as lyre birds, bower birds, tree creepers and honey eaters were living examples of tens of millions of years of evolution. Australian ornithologist Wayne Longmore from Museum Victoria said the hypothesis challenged 200 years of thinking. "Up until the last four or five years it's always been thought that the passerine birds originated in the northern hemisphere and spread south and that's been the gospel for the last 200 years," he said. The oldest passerine fossil was also found in Australia, dating back to the early Eocene period about 55 million years ago.

Pesky Birds in Australia

1) magpie lark, 2) silver-backed butcher-bird, 3) grey butcher-bird, 4) black-backed butcher-bird, 5) pied butcher-bird, 6) western magpie, 7) white-backed magpie, 8) black-backed magpie, 9) white-winged chough, 10) black-winged currawong (bell magpie), 11) black currawong, 12) clinking currawong, 13) grey currawong, 14) pied currawong, 15) brown currawong, 16) raven, 17) little crow, 18) crow

AFP reported: Flocks of native cockatoos chew away at timber structures and Australian Noisy Miner birds are, well... noisy. Strollers at Sydney's Opera House and ferry wharves know that to eat a chocolate croissant in front of hundreds of seagulls is not a smart move. On the campus of Sydney University, huge flocks of parrots flying from tree to tree distracting drivers passing by. [Source: Remi Noyon, AFP, April 22, 2011]

In some parts of Sydney, locals wake up to see their timber decking looking like the scene of a chainsaw massacre. The cause of the mess? Sulfur-crested cockatoos; birds that chew wood to keep their beak healthy. "They eat fruit from peoples' trees and the wood on verandahs and window sills," explains Kris French; a member of Birds in Backyards, a conservation programme focusing on birds living in cities. "They usually chew branches of trees," says Adrian Davis, a PhD student at Sydney University studying parrot populations, "but they can adapt quite well to the city and yes; sometimes people get their house chewed."

Davis said the density of parrots in Sydney exceeds that of parrots in the Royal National Park, south of the city. "Over the past 20 to 30 years, the population has been growing," he explains. "A few of them are birds which have been released from cages, but the bulk of them are part of a colony which used to enjoy the wetlands that existed prior to the settlement of the first pioneers."

Mark David said some people are so used to the ruckus they use birds nesting in their gardens as a reliable indicator of people entering their garden, removing the need for a doorbell. "Noisy miners make so much noise! Some people literally use them as a warning call." To Davis, the birds are not the ones to blame. "They were living there in the first place, because of us they have to adapt to the urban environment," he said. "Some species disappear, some adapt as they can. Moreover, when people get their house chewed by cockatoos, it's usually because they fed them before or they attracted them one way or another."

Most complaints originate from the thunderous and vibrant chorus. The noisy miner, a native with a distinctive, high-pitched call also known as a 'squeaker', and the koel, a large cuckoo bird, are the most common troublemakers. "The problem is that they are nocturnal birds. I personally like their sound, but some people don't," Davis said. Some people really don't. "Frankly, sometimes, especially in the morning I wish I could set the damn bustling tree on fire," says Masha Poursanidou, a university student who lives in inner Sydney. "Some of them make a very strange noise. Once I thought my neighbours were having a very good time until I realised it was a bird that was doing the bunga-bunga."

Native birds are all protected so it is forbidden to kill them. But golf courses can apply for licences to shoot birds if they become too much of a problem while frustrated residents recommend cats and waterpistols to remove annoying birds. But as French notes: "Cats wouldn't have a hope of catching a cockatoo." So what is there to do? Not much, says Davis. "There are some recordings of their natural predators that can ward them off. But even in the case of ibis droppings, birds remain a minor problem. The best thing to do is to enjoy the great diversity of Sydney's bird population." French agrees: "Watch and don't interfere — and please, stop feeding them..."

White Ibises — Australia’s Cocky, Reviled Bin Chickens

Australian white ibises (Threskiornis molucca) are wading birds found throughout much of Australia. Resembling the ibises worshipped in ancient Egypt but native to Australia, they are a common sight in some urban areas and are sometimes called bin chickens because of their habit of raiding rubbish bins. One good thing that white ibises do is eat cane toads, one of the world's most destructive introduced species. Tiffanie Turnbull of the BBC wrote: There are few Australian animals more reviled than the white ibis. It has earned the moniker "bin chicken" for its propensity to scavenge food from anywhere it can — messily raiding garbage and often stealing food right out of people's hands. [Source: Tiffanie Turnbull, BBC, November 25, 2022]

AFP reported: Large colonies of the white, long-beaked native ibis stalk the garbage bins of Sydney. "The white ibis is pretty common around schoolyards and teachers have to train the kids how to stand up against the bird," says dedicated bird watcher Mark David. "Ibis routinely run up to them and snatch their lunch.""They've got a very long beak that intimidates young kids. And see, if people feed them, then they're used to grabbing their share." [Source: Remi Noyon, AFP, April 22, 2011]

In March 2011, in Brisbane, a law student was ordered to undertake 120 hours of community service after he struggled over his sandwich with an ibis and eventually stomped the animal to death. The student's lawyer told the court that her client reacted violently because he was once attacked by a large crow and had been frightened of Australian birds ever since.

It's not yet the Bodega Bay of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", but winged creatures are increasingly becoming a concern for inhabitants of Australia's biggest city. "These filthy creatures strut across campus tarnishing our otherwise impeccable stretches of glorious green grass, foraging and breeding with frightening intensity," writes Michelle Garrett in student newspaper Honi Soit. But it's not only a story of birds pestering humans. "Ibis have also been known to cause a nuisance for captive animals at wildlife parks," reports Mark David. "At feeding time the ibis run in and grab the food meant for other animals."

One good thing that white ibises do is eat cane toads, one of the world's most destructive introduced species. According to the BBC: The bird may have figured out how to overhaul its bad reputation. It has developed an "ingenious" method of eating one of the only animals Australians hate more — the cane toad, [Source: Tiffanie Turnbull, BBC, November 25, 2022]

Magpie Attacks

Black and white magpies are among the most abundant birds in Australia. Found throughout the country and commonly seen in urban areas, these medium-sized native bird, measures about 40 centimeters long and are believed to live for up to 30 years. They tends to nest in tall trees such as eucalyptus and gum, and sometimes in open spaces including parks and playing fields. In Australia, they are know for melodious song, which is heard primarily in the morning, and their aggressive behavior during the nesting season.

According to The Independent: Among their favourite targets, for reasons unclear, are cyclists, red-haired women and mothers with baby strollers. "It came out of nowhere," said one woman, who has scratches and a red peck mark on her temple after being attacked as she pushed a stroller through the leafy streets. "Suddenly there was a great black thing at my head. It hit me twice, and kept swooping. Luckily I had my glasses on, or it would have really got me." Canberrans are resorting to desperate measures to protect themselves. They have been wearing hard hats, carrying open umbrellas or brandishing sticks with streamers which are said to deter the birds. Children have been making hats from cardboard and ice-cream containers. In 1999, 254 attacks were reported during the mating season in Canberra. Humans are the birds' main target, but the territorial flocks of 20 magpies have also pecked other birds to death. [Source: Kathy Marksm The Independent, October 11, 2000 ]

AFP reported: Every year in spring, Australians are seen wearing bicycle helmets with spikes on top or caps that have images of eyes on their back. The colorful head gear is not a fashion statement. Instead, it protects wearers from the swooping magpie, a quintessentially Australian experience where the bird flies low, clacking its beak and sometimes drawing blood by pecking the head of a human victim. [Source: AFP, October 24, 2014]

Claire Dunne was cycling in the Hunter Valley north of Sydney in July when she was attacked and chased by a magpie along a road for half a minute. "Out of nowhere, a bird — I didn't know what it was at the time — was pecking at my helmet," Dunne said. "It swooped again and again, maybe about four or five times in succession. Because of my helmet, I was fine, and I think because of the position I was in, I couldn't see how big it was, I could just see its shadow. "I just thought it was ridiculous... I was like, 'I can't believe that just happened'."

Authorities issue warnings every year on how to deal with the magpie season. The southern state of Victoria even offers a "Swoop Off" kit that includes a set of "eyes" that can be printed out and a warning sign that people can display at attack spots. But while a close encounter with the magpie's black-and-white feathers may evoke memories of Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film The Birds, experts say its behavior is misunderstood and people's reactions to its aggression only adds fuel to the fire.

"They're protecting their nest," Robert Johnson of the Australian Veterinary Association said of the birds. "It's the nesting season in spring, but soon those baby birds will be leaving the nest. And once they've left the nest and can fly away the swooping season finishes." The months of September and October are the typical nesting — and swooping — season, although magpies can breed across a longer period of time according to the climate in the local region.

The birds' attempts to protect their fledglings has sometimes led to injuries and accidents. In 2010, a 12-year-old boy died after running from a swooping magpie on to a road in Queensland, when he was hit by a car. In 2014, the New South Wales ambulance service said a 12-year-old boy suffered bad cuts to his head after a magpie swooped at him. In September 2011 in Tweed, Australia, police issued an order to shoot a magpie responsible for an attack on a schoolgirl The magpiealert.com website, which collects reports of attacks, recorded more than 1,000 swooping incidents across Australia in the first 10 months of 2014, although only 11 percent resulted in injuries. Most of those who reported attacks were cyclists.

Muttonbirds and Muttonbirding

The short-tailed shearwater, a species of seabird found on some of the grass-covered islands in the Bass Strait off of Tasmania, are called muttonbirds because their fatty flesh reminded early British settlers of mutton. [Source: Irynej Skira, Natural History, August 1995]

Each years from March 27 to April 30, muttonbirders descend on islands in the Bass Strait to harvest thousands of muttonbirds. They reach into the burrows at the birds breeding colonies and pull out plumb chicks, and break their necks with a quick flick of the wrist.

About 200,000 bird are taken each year. After they are caught they are taken to a processing shed, preferably within a half an hour after they are killed because they are easier to pluck when still warm. At the shed their stomachs are squeezed for oil, used in medicines and foods, and they are hand plucked, trimmed and packed for freezing

Muttonbird chicks are the primary targets because they are relatively easy to catch, they weigh almost as much as adults and their meat is tastier. Because half the chicks die before they become adults, the harvest does not adversely affect the breeding population. The eggs are laid in November, the chicks are born in January and fattened up by the parents over the next 60 days.

By the late 20th century, muttonbirding was declining due to falling demand for the product and reduced interest by younger Indigenous people in the main area of activity, the islands of the Furneaux Group. In the 1990s many of the muttonbirders were mixed Aboriginals with European blood who were raised on Cape Barren Island. They made good money during the five-week muttonbirding season and were often are unemployed, living off welfare checks, the rest of the year. Muttonbirding provided them with enough money to buy household goods and pay off their debts.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org , National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, Australian Museum, David Attenborough books, Australia Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated August 2025