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Budgerigars
Discovering Australia’s birds, for some people, is one of the delights of visiting Australia, with more than 750 species of birds recorded, 300 of which are found nowhere else. Although many Australian birds live their entire life cycles in specific habitats, such as mangroves and wetlands, others are nomadic and move according to the availability of water and food. Birds of prey are common, allowing themselves to be easily seen, with the confidence of fully-protected birds and magnificent rainforest birds can easily be found- you don’t even have to a be a great birdwatcher to see them.
In winter, large numbers of seabirds such as the albatross move north from Antarctica to southern Australian waters where they may be seen quite close to shore. The Outback is alive with budgerigars which flock in the thousands. The haunting call of the funeral cockatoo is heard in the tall forests of the southern alps; while the giant palm cockatoo inhabits the rainforests of Northern Queensland. In some Sydney suburbs it is not uncommon to see white sulphur-crested cockatoos. The only penguin found in Australia is the Little Penguin, a flightless marine bird approximately 40cms tall, which frequents the south eastern coast. The best place for visitors to see them is the famous Little Penguin Parade on Phillip Island, south east of Melbourne. The galah is an extremely abundant and beautiful small cockatoo. In the wild, vast flocks are seen in flight as a coloured cloud of pink and grey. The kookaburra, a member of the kingfisher family, and renowned for its distinctive "laugh" is a symbol of Australia to many overseas visitors, as is the emu, which appears on the country’s coat of arms. Found over much of Australia, the nomadic emus prefer wide open spaces and can achieve speeds of up to 50km (31mph) per hour. Other Australian bird species include the Jabiru, lorikeet Cassowary, honeyeaters, crimson rosellas, golden bowerbird, brolga and black swan.
Try these great bird watching spots:
The Top End in the Northern Territory is home to 23 of the 24 species of Australia’s eagles, hawks, and falcons while the Alligator River in Kakadu National Park is a refuge for 2.5 million water birds including the densest assemblage of magpie geese in the world.
The Atherton Tableland near Cairns is a paradise for birders. The Tableland attracts large numbers of brolgas and cranes in winter and the surrounding rainforest is habitat for a great variety of birds.
Rotamah Island is set in the heart of the Gippsland Lakes in central Victoria. The island is covered in mature coastal heath that attracts large numbers of honeyeaters and lorikeets, while the surrounding waterways are good for many kinds of ducks and waders.
Kangaroo Island, off the coast of Adelaide in South Australia, is renowned for its interesting and varied wildlife. The selection of birds includes penguins, osprey, sea eagles, and the rare glossy black cockatoo.
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