Melbourne is home to a diverse range of bird species. The exact number is difficult to pin down, as new species are discovered and ranges shift, but estimates put the number at around 300-400 species that can be found in and around the greater Melbourne area. Some are residents, while others are migratory visitors. The variety of habitats, from coastal wetlands to urban parks and gardens, supports this avian diversity. As one of the world’s most livable cities, Melbourne offers excellent opportunities for birdwatching.
Major Habitats and Bird Populations
Melbourne’s major habitats that support diverse bird populations include:
Coastal Wetlands
Wetland habitats like the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands, the Western Treatment Plant, and the Bellarine Peninsula supportshorebirds like plovers, sandpipers, stints, and curlews. Many of these are migratory species that breed in Siberia and Alaska and overwinter in Australia. Resident wetland species include crakes, rails, bitterns, grebes, cormorants, and pelicans. Rare vagrants like the Mongolian Plover occasionally turn up.
Woodlands and Forests
Revegetated areas and state parks like Organ Pipes National Park, Brisbane Ranges National Park, Kinglake National Park, and Dandenong Ranges National Park provide habitat for an array of parrots, robins, thornbills, whistlers, and treecreepers. Forest raptors like goshawks and powerful owls inhabit these wooded environments.
Heathlands
Heath habitats in places like the Mornington Peninsula host rare species like the beautiful firetail and ground parrot. Other heath specialists include the striated fieldwren and bassian thrush.
Urban Areas
Melbourne’s parks and gardens attract introduced species like sparrows, starlings, and mynas, as well as natives like rainbow lorikeets, wattlebirds, and Willie wagtails. Waterways through the city support ducks, swans, grebes, cormorants, and herons. Large parks can have remarkable diversity – over 150 species recorded in Royal Park alone.
Farmlands
Agricultural areas on the outskirts of Melbourne provide habitat for open country species like quail, button-quail, pipits, skylarks, eagles, and falcons. Dams attract waterfowl and wetland species.
Offshore Islands
Islands like French Island and Phillip Island have specialty species. Penguins breed on Phillip Island, while the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot inhabits French Island. Seabirds like shearwaters, gannets, and albatrosses visit the islands and surrounding waters.
Suburbs Gardens
Australian native species like rainbow lorikeets, laughing kookaburras, crested pigeons, magpies, butcherbirds, currawongs and noisy miners are commonly found in suburbia gardens. Nectar-rich exotic plants also attract lorikeets, honeyeaters, and friarbirds.
Rare and Threatened Species
Some bird species in Melbourne have small and threatened populations, including:
– Orange-bellied Parrot – Critically endangered with only about 20 left in the wild. French Island is a stronghold.
– Swift Parrot – Endangered migratory species dependent on nectar. Fewer than 1000 pairs left.
– Helmeted Honeyeater – Endangered forest species now restricted to a small area near Melbourne. Fewer than 100 left.
– Regent Honeyeater – Critically endangered woodland bird with fewer than 300 left nationwide.
– Plains-wanderer – Vulnerable cryptic ground-dwelling quail-like species. Very rare around Melbourne.
– Growling Grass Frog – Vulnerable wetland species impacted by habitat loss around Melbourne. Important populations remain.
– Australasian Bittern – Endangered heron of wetlands under threat from drainage and degradation.
Conservation efforts are focused on protecting and enhancing habitat for these threatened species. Cats, foxes, and loss of hollow-bearing trees also impact many bird populations.
Seasonal Patterns
Melbourne’s bird populations change throughout the year. Some patterns include:
– Spring (Sep-Nov) – Breeding season with returning migrants, displays, nesting, and eggs hatching.
– Summer (Dec-Feb) – Young birds emerge and disperse. Resident populations stabilize. Localized movements occur.
– Autumn (Mar-May) – Migratory shorebirds return from northern hemisphere breeding grounds. Ducks, swans, and grebes arrive for the southern summer.
– Winter (Jun-Aug) – Migratory shorebirds depart for the north. Some influx of alpine and inland species in colder months e.g. crimson rosellas.
– Migration – Major migratory flyways pass through Melbourne. Shorebirds, seabirds, cuckoos, and others pass through on long migrations.
– Nomadic Movement – Birds like honeyeaters, lorikeets, and woodswallows make irregular nomadic movements in search of food.
– Irruptions – In some years, normally resident species move beyond their usual ranges in irregular irruptions e.g. red wattlebirds.
Season | Patterns |
---|---|
Spring | Breeding season, returning migrants, displays |
Summer | Young birds emerge and disperse, populations stabilize, localized movements |
Autumn | Migratory shorebirds return from northern hemisphere, ducks arrive |
Winter | Migratory shorebirds depart for north, influx of alpine/inland species |
Major Birdwatching Locations
Top birdwatching spots in and around Melbourne include:
The Western Treatment Plant
This sewage treatment site provides a mosaic of habitats that attracts over 200 species. Shorebirds abound in migration seasons. Rare vagrants turn up. Easy walking trails provide accessibility.
Wilsons Promontory National Park
“The Prom” hosts a huge diversity of birds in heath, forest, wetland, and coastal habitats. Emus, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, Hooded plovers, and seabirds are highlights.
Hayden’s Wartook Reserve
Temperate rainforest here provides habitat for hard-to-find species like pilotbirds, bassian thrush, and pink robins. Dense, pristine forest makes for an immersive birding experience.
Mallacoota Inlet
This top-notch shorebird site provides opportunities to see curlews, sandpipers, plovers, and terns in huge numbers during the migration seasons.
Bellarine Peninsula
Coastal reserves and swamps here host migratory waders, waterfowl including the rare Freckled Duck, and grassland passerines like the beautiful firetail.
Growling Grass Frog National Park
This small but precious wetland is home to one of Australia’s rarest frogs. It also provides habitat for crakes, rails, bitterns, herons, cormorants, and grebes.
Melbourne Botanic Gardens
Right in the heart of the city, these gardens host an amazing diversity of common urban species, and unusual vagrants frequently turn up here.
Conclusion
Melbourne provides world-class birding opportunities, with a diverse avifauna inhabiting habitats ranging from the coast to the mountains. Estimates suggest between 300-400 species occur, though the exact number is difficult to ascertain. Rarities and vagrants make Melbourne’s bird list an ever-changing one, adding excitement to any birding outing. The city’s natural areas offer superb birdwatching for all levels of interest, from urban novices to dedicated twitchers. Protecting habitat and reducing threats will be key to ensuring the survival of Melbourne’s threatened and declining bird species.