Noisy Miner White-plumed Red Wattlebird Crested Pigeon

This aggressive Honeyeater Two red, fleshy wattles Originally an inland

coloniser of suburban on its neck and a species, flourishing in
A common small
woodlands has a real yellow belly distinguish Sydney since the 1970s.
grey-green honeyeater
gang mentality, driving this honeyeater from Sometimes wrongly
with a yellowish head
off most other species. the Little Wattlebird, called a Topknot Pigeon,
and white streaks on
Very vocal including which is prevalent in which is one of five
its neck. It has different
an alarm call especially coastal areas. Both have rarer rainforest doves
calls including a sharp
for raptors. loud, cackling calls. recorded in Sydney.
piercing whistle.
26cm 28cm 42cm
14cm

Suburban Parks & Gardens

Willie Wagtail Aust
Magpie-lark Grey Black-faced
A fiesty little bird with Also known as a Butcherbird Cuckoo-shrike
a big attitude, its all peewee, the magpie- Its name comes from Gun-metal grey with a
in the eyebrows, will lark has a loud call its grisly practice powder black face, this
even attack ravens. and builds a mud nest. of impaling small handsome medium-sized
Chatters an alarm or See if you can spot animals to butcher. bird is neither a cuckoo
a sweeter song often the different markings Its loud piping call is a or a shrike. Watch for it
heard at night during between the male familiar sound in most shuffling its wings when
the summer months. (pictured) and female. suburban parklands. landing on a branch.
21cm 28cm 21cm 33cm

Aust
Magpie Pied Currawong Aust
Raven Eastern
Koel
The former Western Mainly black with some This large black bird is This cuckoo is a
Suburbs emblem. Can white on wings and often incorrectly called summer visitor whose
be quite aggressive rump, more apparent a crow, although it is Coo-eee call is a sound
during the breeding in flight. Its call is a larger and has throat of spring. Quite elusive,
season. Its liquid distinctive clanging chime. hackles. Hunts and males are large black
warbles are a familiar Feeds on small animals scavenges in groups. birds with red eyes and
sound. Young have and insects. Young have Young have dark eyes a long tail. The females
dark eyes which turn dark eyes which turn which turn white at and juveniles (pictured)
red at adulthood. yellow at adulthood. adulthood. are a mottled brown.
40cm 45cm 50cm 42cm

Welcome Red-rumped Rainbow Musk Lorikeet

Swallow Parrot Lorikeet A green bird with red
across the forehead.
A superb flyer, zipping Often called a grass This colourful parrot
It feeds on flowering
low over grassland or parrot because it feeds has adapted well to
trees and is smaller than
water catching insects. in grass. Red rump not suburban parks and
the Rainbow Lorikeet.
Related to martins but always visible, the male gardens. A screechy
Its metallic call is higher
not swifts, both of which is green and yellow fast flier, the blue head
pitched and faster than
are summer visitors chest and the female is and orange chest sets it
the Rainbow Lorikeet.
to Sydney. a duller grey/green. apart from similar birds.
22cm
15cm 26cm 30cm

Eastern Rosella Galah Sulphur-crested Little Corella

A beautiful parrot, One of the few birds Cockatoo A type of cockatoo with
mainly green and yellow with a one word name, a more gentle laughing
A familiar bird, white
with blue in the wings also used to describe call and yellowish tinge
with a yellow crest,
and tail and a red head. people displaying similar on wings. Long-billed
raised in alarm. Loud
It has a soft piping call comical antics. These Corellas, also common
screeching call. Yellow-
and a dipping flight. Also pink and grey parrots in Sydney have a smaller
tailed and Glossy Black
found in Sydney is the are a common sight on crest and a pink mark
Cockatoos also occur in
Crimson Rosella. suburban grasslands. across the chest.
the Sydney region.
39cm 35cm 37cm
52cm

Superb
Introduced birds Fairy-wren
The brightly coloured
BIRDS of
WESTERN SYDNEY
1. 2. male is easy to tell from
the rarer Variegated
Fairy-wren. The females
Grassed areas

of both species are very

similar brown birds. A Photo Guide
14cm

Red-browed
Finch Welcome Swallow
A superb flyer, catching insects
Formerly known
high inasthe a air or low over
firetail due fitoelds
its or
bright
water. The swallow
red rump.The often most
nests in man-made
3. 4. common ofstructures.
Sydneys six
finch species, two of which
are introduced.
12cm

Masked Lapwing
Previously called the
Spur-winged Plover, due
to the sharp spurs on its
wings (not pictured). This
bird has adapted well to
suburban sports fields.
5. 6.
A ground-nester, it will
defend its nest and chicks
by loudly swooping at
passers by.
36cm

COVER - Six of the 16 species of raptor that occur in the Western Sydney region
Top (L-R) Aust
Kestrel Aust Hobby Black-shouldered Kite
Bottom (L-R) Brown Goshawk Peregrine Falcon Pacific Baza

The birds featured here are 76 relatively common species found in Sydney (known
7. 1. Common Myna (India)
as the County of Cumberland). You can use this leaflet by ticking the boxes as you
2. Red-whiskered Bulbul (India) identify the birds of your local area. If you manage to see all the birds in the leaflet
(and probably some that arent!), you may want to find the other 365 species that
3. Starling (UK)
Common
have been recorded in the County of Cumberland.
4. House Sparrow (UK) Birdwatching is great fun and doesnt cost anything, although a good pair of
binoculars and a field guide will add to your enjoyment. Why not join a club and
5. Spotted Dove (China)
attend outings where other birdwatchers will be happy to share their knowledge
6. Common Blackbird (UK) with you? For more information visit www.cboc.org.au
7. Rock Dove - Feral Pigeon (UK)

Non-native plants and animals such as cats and foxes have devastated many of
Australias fragile ecosystems. The birds listed above add to the pressure faced
by Sydneys native birds by competing for food and nest-sites.
Since European settlement much of western Sydneys unique habitat, known as
Cumberland Plain, has been cleared for timber and agriculture. Less than 10%
of Cumberland Plain Woodland remains and is still being cleared, fragmented Copy, design and photography Mark Fuller, additional photography Edwin Vella
and degraded due to continuing urban development and population growth. All contents have been checked for accuracy, however no legal responsiblity is accepted for any erroneous information.
Yellow Thornbill Spotted Pardalote Silvereye Mistletoebird
The smallest and most The bright colours are not This greenish-grey bird is As its name suggests,
common of Sydneys always easy to spot as this often seen in small groups this pretty little bird
five thornbill species. Its little bird often forages high in trees and shrubs. In is associated with
bright yellow colour not in canopies. It nests in a winter, resident Sydney mistletoe. The female
always easy to see as hole in the ground. More birds are joined by flocks is grey with red under
small groups flit around widespread than Sydneys from Tasmania, which the tail. Listen for a
tree canopies, chipping other pardalote, the Striated are more colourful with loud single, high-pitched
and buzzing. Pardalote (par-da-lote). distinctive rufous flanks. 2-note tuneful whistle.
10cm 10cm 12cm 10cm

Grey Fantail Eastern

Bell Miner Restless
A relative of the Willie Yellow Robin Also known as the
Wagtail with the same This medium-sized bellbird due to its call,
Flycatcher
bold disposition. This bird is the most more often heard The male looks similar
common woodland widespread of the than seen. Green with to a Willie Wagtail. Its
bird is quite noticable six robin species orange/yellow feet. call sounds like someone
blowing a high-pitched

Woodland or Bush birds

when foraging through recorded in Sydney. Lives in colonies like
the branches. Its call is The others have pink its suburban relative, raspberry. The largest
very high-pitched. and red breasts. the Noisy Miner. of Sydneys three
16cm 16cm 26cm flycatcher species.
20cm

Eastern
Whipbird Laughing Sacred Fan-tailed
A shy, secretive bird Kookaburra Kingfisher Cuckoo
that spends most of its
An iconic Australian bird, This blue-green and Eight species of cuckoo
time foraging in dense
and the largest of Sydneys pale orange gem is a can be found in Sydney.
undergrowth. This
three kingfisher species. common summer visitor This relatively common
behaviour, along with its
Its distinctive call is often to many of Sydneys one is similar to the rarer
loud whipcrack call, means
used in jungle scenes in old woodlands. One of its Brush Cuckoo. A yellow
this bird is more often
movies, but is heard in a calls sounds a like a dog eye-ring and the fanned
heard than seen.
wide range of habitats. repeatedly barking. tail sets it apart.
28cm
46cm 21cm 26cm

Grey Rufous Whistler Golden Whistler Olive-backed

Shrike-thrush As the name suggests The call is a loud single Oriole
this handsome bird has note seep, commonly
Not a shrike or a thrush. but A green bird, with a
a distinctive eee-chong heard in the Sydney area
Sydneys only Shrike-thrush heavily streaked white
whistling call, often heard through the winter months.
What this brown-grey bird chest, look for the red
in spring and summer. Unlike the male (pictured)
lacks in colour it makes up eye and beak. Often in
The female is an overall the female is a pale brown
for in song, ranging from a the canopy, you may
sandy colour and has a bird, except for a yellow
distinctive single note to a hear it tunefully calling
streaked chest. tinge on the vent area.
haunting tuneful melody. its name, or-ee-ol.
19cm 18cm
26cm 26cm

Eastern
Spinebill Dusky White-throated White-naped
This small, colourful Woodswallow Gerygone Honeyeater
honeyeater flits around
The most widespread of Pronounced Jerrig-onee, one Green and white with
in branches. It can also
five woodswallow species of three species found in striking red eye-skin.
hover above flowers,
recorded in the Sydney Sydney. Formerly known Similar, less common
using its long bill and
region. Look for small as Warblers, the beautiful Sydney birds, are
tongue to feed on
flocks gliding above the descending call is a common the Brown-headed
nectar, looking like a
canopy with distinctive woodland sound in the and Black-chinned
hummingbird.
white dots on the dark tail. summer months. Honeyeaters.
14cm
18cm 10cm 10cm

Crested White-browed Yellow-faced Weebill

Shrike-tit Scrubwren Honeyeater This small yellow bird
is in decline and looks
A striking-looking bird Sydney has three species A small to medium-sized,
similar to the Yellow
with a black and white of scrubwren. This is the greyish bird. A migratory
Thornbill. A tuneful
head and a powerful most widespread, skulking species that can occur
whistle, a paler yellow
beak for ripping at bark. in the undergrowth, in large numbers during
and its wee bill should
Listen for a descending becoming quite bold winter. Has a chip chip
help identification. Often
single-note whistle or when its curiosity is call in flight., often heard
hovers near canopy.
chuckling call. aroused. as groups fly overhead.
10cm
18cm 13cm 16cm

Pacific Aust
Wood Duck Chestnut Teal Australasian
Black Duck Formerly known as With a deep chestnut Grebe
A dark duck, but Maned Duck, males are body and bottle-green
former name of The most abundant
grey with a reddish- head - the male is
Painted Duck more of the three grebe
brown head, females unmistakable. The
suits this handsome species found in the
are a speckled brown female is brown, and
bird. Flashes can be Sydney region. An

Creeks, Dams & Wetlands

colour. It often nests in looks similar to the
green or blue, expert diver, it will
tree hollows and has a Grey Teal which also
depending on light. submerge at the
distinctive weoww call. occurs in Sydney.
54cm first hint of danger.
46cm 43cm
36cm

Purple Dusky Eurasian Black Swan

Swamphen Moorhen Coot Theres no
mistaking Australias
More of a blue/black Smaller and A white shield
only native swan.
sheen than purple, shyer than the gives rise to the
Mainly black, it has
with a red shield. swamphen, its bill saying As bald
a red bill and white
Noisy and found in tipped with yellow. as a Coot. Can
on its wings, which
swampy reed-beds Conspicuous outer occur in huge
look spectacular
or long grass. white tail feathers flocks on large
when seen in flight.
46cm from behind. bodies of water.
120cm
38cm 40cm

Little Black Little Pied White-faced Eastern

Cormorant Heron Great Egret

Cormorant The largest of Sydneys
Often seen in groups, Most often seen on The most common of
five egret species with
perching or swimming farmland dams and the four heron species
a long snake-like neck.
and diving for fish. inland waterways. found within the
Look for the smaller
Similar to the larger Similar to the larger Sydney region. Pale
but equally common
Great Cormorant Pied Cormorant which grey with a variable
Cattle Egret, often
which has a white is found mainly in amount of white on
seen in paddocks.
patch on its throat. coastal habitats. the face and neck.
90cm
60cm 60cm 68cm

Azure Kingfisher Aust

Reed Warbler Aust
Pelican Aust
White Ibis
A bright blue back and an A small, brown bird A common coastal This familiar wetland
orange front make this a which is sometimes bird. Groups of bird has adapted
classic kingfisher. Found hard to see and you these impressive well to scavenging
near creeks, flying low may only catch a glimpse. birds can be seen in suburban Sydney.,
and fast over water or Its loud, distinctive call flying high, looking forming large clonies.
perching on overhanging is a common sound of like squadrons of More rural, the rarer
branches, waiting to dive Sydneys reed-beds during planes as they follow Straw-necked Ibis,
in and grab a fish. the summer months. inland waterways. has dark wings.
16cm 16cm 170cm 70cm