A guide to the special birds found across Australia's vastly varied landscapes.
From the eastern rainforests to the central deserts, Australia is home to some 900 species of birds. Finding Australian Birds covers over 400 birdwatching sites conveniently grouped into the best birding areas, from one end of the country to the other. This includes areas such as Kakadu in the Top End and Uluru in the Red Centre of the Northern Territory, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, an amazing diversity of forests along the eastern Australian seaboard, including some of the world's tallest forests in Tasmania, the iconic Strzelecki and Birdsville Tracks in South Australia, and the mallee woodlands and remote Kimberley region in Western Australia.
Chapters are arranged by state or territory and begin with an overview. Birdwatching sites are then grouped by region to provide specific details on target species, access and useful information such as accommodation and facilities. This second edition includes over 30 new birdwatching sites and updated information on site access. The book also provides a comprehensive 'Bird Finding Guide', listing all of Australia's birds with details on their abundance and where exactly to see them.
Finding Australian Birds will be of value to both Australian birdwatchers and international visitors. It will assist novices, birders of intermediate skill and keen 'twitchers' to find any Australian species.
Acknowledgements
Photo credits
Introduction
NORTHERN TERRITORY
The Top End
The Red Centre: Alice Springs and nearby arid lands
QUEENSLAND
Cape York Peninsula
North Queensland
Queensland Gulf Country and outback
South-East Queensland
NEW SOUTH WALES AND THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Sydney, the Central and South Coasts
The Hunter Valley and NSW North Coast
Western slopes and central tablelands
Western plains
VICTORIA
Northern Victoria
Southern Victoria
TASMANIA
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Adelaide and the South-East
Arid lands: the Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula and the South Australian outback
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Southern Western Australia
Northern Western Australia
OFFSHORE ISLANDS AND TERRITORIES
Annotated bird list of Australia and its territories
Further reading
Useful resources
Index of bird common names
Index of place names
Tim Dolby is a well-known Australian birdwatcher and guide, who has led multi-day birdwatching tours to remote parts of Australia for over a decade. He is the principal editor of Where to See Birds in Victoria, a comprehensive guidebook to some of the best birdwatching sites in the state.
https://www.nhbs.com/product/188824Rohan Clarke is an ecologist at Monash University with a research focus on bird conservation and island ecosystems. He's also a passionate birder, with a love of seabirds, and an author of both the award-winning Australian Bird Guide (CSIRO Publishing, 2019) and The Compact Australian Bird Guide (CSIRO Publishing, 2012).
"[...] Australia being a safe country with a great deal of space, the number of potential birding locations is almost limitless. This book tries to draw the fine line between providing detailed information about specific locations, and trying to capture a wide range of different sites. I think it makes a relatively good job of this, but it does mean that some additional research will be required for visitors to many areas. [...] The book is nicely illustrated with photographs throughout. To me, this is an important feature. [...] The only gripe I have with this book is the maps, which let the book down in two ways. First, the maps are small and not very accurate. [...] However, I must make it clear that this only detracts slightly from what is a very useful reference, and one that will stand the test of time."
– Damien Farine, Ibis 157(2), April 2015