Western
Australian Birding Sites
The following are a list of the best birding sites that I have
visited, read about or heard about in Western Australia. I intend
to include information about all of these sites when I find the
time. If there is a particular site that interests you but which
I haven't written up then email
me. That is how the information for many of the sites began. Note that many of the sites are seasonal or may vary greatly from
year to year.
The sites marked with an 
indicate the better sites.
The page for each site begins with a
list of the bird, mammal and reptile highlights for the site. This is followed by a general introduction to the area followed
by a list of specific sites. Where possible, I have included the GPS latitude / longitude (WGS 84/86 Datum) for each specific site. These can be used as the reference for completing survey sheets
for the Birds Australia Atlas II project. I encourage everyone to
participate in this project. At the end of each site, I have
included some contact or reference details and in some cases
suggestions for places to stay. The sites near Perth include map
references to the UBD Perth Street Directory.
I welcome any amendments or suggestions for improvements.
Western Australia covers an area larger than western Europe or
the USA. More than 500 bird species have been recorded including 14 endemics and at least 3 sub species
that will probably be recognised as full species. There are many
other near endemics, migratory species and other highly sought
after species.
Birds Australia
WA (Inc) is the local branch of the
national Birds
Australia organisation. The Birds Australia WA office is
located at Perry House near Perry Lakes and it is open from
9:30am to 12:30pm on Monday to Friday. Birders visiting Perth
should find the time to visit the office. There is an extensive
range of WA country brochures complete with bird lists that are
available for the cost of a small donation to cover the costs of
reprinting. Birds Australia WA has monthly meetings at the WA
Tennis Centre at 8pm usually on the 4th Monday of each month, and
they organise many bird walks and campouts.
Most visiting birders enter Western Australia by flying to
Perth. Perth has a surprising number of good birding sites within
the metropolitan area or within a two hour drive. The Birds
Australia WA office sells a $3 booklet and a $20 book that cover
most of the sites in the vicinity of Perth. There are a large
number of wetlands on the Swan Coastal Plain including Lake Monger, Herdsman
Lake, Bayswater Bird Sanctuary, Bibra
Lake and Alfred Cove. Most of the south west endemics can be
found at Wungong Gorge and Bungendore State Forest in the Darling
Range. Rottnest Island is worth a day
trip especially in summer, and Penguin
Island is also worth a visit if you are in the Rockingham
area.
The best birding areas in Western Australia are in the
Kimberley in the far north of the state. Broome
is outstanding for the waders, summer migrants and mangrove
species and you must stay at the Broome Bird Observatory. Kununurra
is outstanding for the finches, parrots, honeyeaters
and waterbirds. Derby is well worth a day visit from
Broome, and Wyndham from Kununurra. The Kimberley coast is spectacular with up to an 11 metre tidal
range and some isolated rainforest patches. The Kimberley Coastal Camp is an unforgettable
place to visit.
Most of the Western Australian endemics occur in the south
west. A common itinerary is Perth to Dryandra
State Forest, to Fitzgerald River
National Park, to Waychinicup Nature
Reserve, Two Peoples Bay and Albany for a couple of days, to Cape Leeuwin at Augusta
via Mt Barker, Lake Muir and Manjimup, to Cape
Naturaliste and back to Perth. The Mandurah
and Pinjarra areas are very good
especially in summer.
Further to the south east there are excellent birding
opportunities from Hyden to Norseman, Esperance and the Eyre Bird Observatory.
Another common itinerary north of Perth is Perth to Kalbarri National Park, to Monkey Mia at Shark
Bay, to Carnarvon, back to Geraldton, across to Cue via Yalgoo and Mount Magnet for a
couple of days at Nallan Station, and
back to Perth via Payne's Find and Wubin.
There are very good birding areas in the Pilbara such as
Port Hedland, Millstream Chichester National Park, Karajini National
Park and Cape Range near Exmouth.
Kimberley
Gascoyne / Pilbara
North of Perth
| Abrolhos
Islands |
Ellendale Pool |
Geraldton |
Kalbarri |
| Mullewa |
Woolleen Station |
Yalgoo |
|
North East of Perth
Perth Suburbs
South West
South East
| Cape Arid |
Arubiddy Station |
Emu Rock |
Esperance |
| Eyre
Bird Observatory |
Cape Le Grande |
Great Victoria Desert |
McDermid Rock |
| Newman Rock |
Nullarbor Plain |
Plumridge Lakes |
Recherche Archipelago |
| Rowles Lagoon |
|
|
|
Western
Australian GPS Locations (Microsoft Excel 95) (44KB)
| © Copyright Frank
O'Connor 1997-2005 |
 Visits |
Last Modified
7th November 2005 |