Guide to Common Birds of Tasmania

Guide to Common Birds of Tasmania

Tasmania is one of Australia’s top birdwatching destinations. Nowhere else in the country can you spot as many endemic species is such a small area. Tasmania is home to twelve endemic bird species, most of which can be seen throughout the entire state.

We’ve created a helpful Tasmanian birdwatching identification guide with quality photos that’s perfect for beginner birdwatchers trying to identify Tasmania’s birds. While there may be more than 380 bird species that have been spotted in Tasmania and its many offshore islands, we will focus on some of the most common birds seen in Tasmania.

Best Birdwatching Spots in Tasmania

The best part of birdwatching in Tasmania is that you can spot a large number of birds almost anywhere in the state. Some species are migratory and can only be spotted during certian months of the year while others are year-round breeding residents.

Tasmania is home to cool temperate forests, wet and dry sclerophyll forests, button grass moorlands, wetlands, and coastal heathlands. Each habitat will offer the chance to see its own unique species.

Birdwatching in Tasmanian National Parks is a great way to tick a number of species off your list. Some notable parks where you can commonly spot large numbers of birds include Narawntapu National Park in the north, Freycinet National Park in the East, and Tasman National Park in the South. Tasmania’s National Parks have even launched a handy birds of Tasmania app that covers roughly 50 of the most common birds found in Tasmania. The app provides information on Tasmanian bird calls, photo identification, and what habitats you are likely to see each species in.

Some of the other top birding locations in Tasmania for twitchers include the Tamar Island Wetlands in Launceston, Don Reserve in Devonport, Leven River in Ulverstone, Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens in Hobart, and Orielton Lagoon near Hobart which is recognised as a Ramsar Wetland. If you are wondering where to watch penguins in Tasmania, check out the penguin viewing platform at Lillico beach where you can spot penguins from September to May during their breeding season.

Online Photo Guide to the Birds of Tasmania

Navigate to:

 

Sea & Beaches

guide to birds of tasmania Australia Pacific gull

Pacific Gull

guide to birds of tasmania Australia hooded plover

Hooded Plover

Pied Oystercatcher

Pied Oystercatcher

 

guide to birds of tasmania Australia black faced cormorant

Black Faced Cormorant

guide to birds of tasmania Australia silver gull

Silver Gull

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia white bellied sea eagle

White Bellied Sea Eagle Immature

guide to birds of tasmania Australia white bellied sea eagle adult

White Bellied Sea Eagle Adult

 

 

guide to birds of tasmania Australia little penguin

Little Penguin

 

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia little penguins

Little Penguin Juveniles

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia great crested tern

Great Crested Tern

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia peregrine falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Black Faced Cormorant

Black Faced Cormorant

 

Forests & Grasslands

guide to birds of tasmania Australia dusky woodswallo

Dusky Woodswallow

guide to birds of tasmania Australia brown thronbill

Brown Thornbill

Wedge Tailed Eagle

Wedge Tailed Eagle

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia wedge tailed eagle

Wedge Tailed Eagle

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia scarlet robin

Scarlet Robin

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia morepork owll boobook owl

Morepork Owl

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia brown falcon

Brown Falcon

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia brown goshawk

Brown Goshawk

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia white fronted chat

White Fronted Chat

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia pallid cuckoo

Pallid Cuckoo

birds of tasmania Australia guide black currawong

Black Currawong

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia pink robin

Pink Robin

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia masked owl

Masked Owl

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia grey goshawk white morph

Grey Goshawk White Morph

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia yellow tailed black cockatoo

Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo

guide to birds of tasmania Australia yellow tailed black cockatoo

Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia yellow throated hoenyeater

Yellow Throated Honeyeater

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia new holland honeyeater

New Holland Honeyeater

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia grey fantail

Grey Fantail

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia brown goshawk

Brown Goshawk

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia silvereye

Silvereye

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia tawny frogmouth

Tawny Frogmouth

guide to birds of tasmania Australia fan tailed cuckoo

Fan Tailed Cuckoo

guide to birds of tasmania Australia yellow wattlebird

Yellow Watllebird

guide to birds of tasmania Australia black faced cuckooshrike

Black Faced Cuckooshrike

 

birds of tasmania guide Australian Magpie

Australian Magpie

guide to birds of tasmania Australia Australian hobby

Australian Hobby

guide to birds of tasmania Australia forest raven

Forest Raven

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia common bronzewing

Common Bronzewing

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia kestrel

Australian Kestrel

 

Wetlands, Lakes, & Rivers

guide to birds of tasmania Australia cape barren goose

Cape Barren Goose

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia little pied cormorant

Little Pied Cormorant

birds of tasmania guide australia white bellied sea eagle

White Bellied Sea Eagle

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia wite faced heron

White Faced Heron

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia Tasmanian nativehen

Tasmanian Nativehen

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia great egret

Great Egret

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia Tasmanian nativehen

Tasmanian Nativehen

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia black swan

Black Swan

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia pelican

Australian Pelican

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia little pied cormorant

Little Pied Cormorant

guide to birds of tasmania Australia masked lapwing

Masked Lapwing

 

guide to birds of tasmania Australia swamp harrier

Swamp Harrier

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia Australasian grebe

Australasian Grebe

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia black fronted dotterel

Black Fronted Dotterel

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia Eurasian Coot

Eurasian Coot

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia shelduck

Australian Shelduck

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia banded lapwing

Banded Lapwing

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia musk duck

Musk Duck

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia wood duck

Australian Wood Duck

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia masked lapwing

Masked Lapwing

guide to birds of tasmania Australia great cormorant

Great Cormorant

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia chestnut teal

Chestnut Teal

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia dusky moorhen

Dusky Moorhen

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia Pacific black duck

Pacific Black Duck

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia Australasian swamphen

Australasian Swamphen

 

 

Gardens & Urban Areas

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia superb fairywren

Superb Fairywren

Superb Fairywren Female

Superb Fairywren Female

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia green rosella

Green Rosella

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia sulpher crested cockatoo

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia musk lorikeet

Musk Lorikeet

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia galah

Galah

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia eastern rosella

Eastern Rosella

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia Australian Magpie

Australian Magpie

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia welcome swallow

Welcome Swallow

guide to birds of tasmania Australia European goldfinch

European Goldfinch

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia laughing kookaburra

Laughing Kookaburra

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia nosiy miner

Noisy Miner

guide to birds of tasmania Australia wattlebird

Little Wattlebird

guide to birds of tasmania Australia eastern spinebill

Eastern Spinebill

guide to birds of tasmania Australia rainbow lorikeet

Rainbow Lorikeet

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia beautiful firetail

Beautiful Firetail

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia grey butcherbird

Grey Butcherbird

guide to birds of Tasmania Australia European starling

European Starling

guide to birds of tasmania Australia new holland honeyeater

New Holland Honeyeater

 

 

Endemic Birds of Tasmania

The following is a list of the 12 endemic bird species in Tasmania:

  • Tasmanian Native Hen
  • Green rosella
  • Dusky robin
  • Tasmanian thornbill
  • Scrubtit
  • Tasmanian Scrubwren
  • Yellow wattlebird
  • Yellow-throated honeyeater
  • Black-headed honeyeater
  • Strong-billed honeyeater
  • Black currawong
  • Forty-spotted pardalote

Orange-bellied parrot: photo by Ron Knight , Forty Spotted Pardalote: Photo By Francesco Veronesi

Eleven of these endemic species can be readily seen in and around Hobart, Tasmania’s largest city. Only the forty-spotted pardalote has a severely restricted range. A good spot to start searching for endemic bird species in Hobart is in Kunanyi/Mount Wellington Park.

Inala Private Conservation Reserve on Bruny Island is probably the best location in Tasmania to see the rare and endemic forty-spotted pardalote. They also have a wonderful bird hide which allows visitors to photograph several different raptors of Tasmania quite easily. Head to Melaleuca in Southwest National Park if you want to see the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot.

In addition to the twelve endemic species of birds found in Tasmania, the state also offers up some unique bird subspecies. These include a subspecies of wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax fleayi), the Tasmanian masked owl, and the white morph of the grey goshawk. You could also potentially spot various penguin species that visit the island from much further south if you’re lucky. There have been increased sightings of king penguins in Tasmania that last few years.

Field Guide to Tasmania Birds

We highly recommend Dave Watts’s Field Guide to Tasmanian Birds if you are looking for a more comprehensive birds of Tasmania book that will cover most of the birds that can be spotted in the state.

Bespoke Bird-Themed Exclusive Souvenirs

tasmanian birds guide

Celebrate your own personal favorite Tasmanian birds by creating Custom Lapel Pins or custom bird stickers, both of which will allow you to show off your love of birds to your fellow twitchers. With GS-JJ, you can create your own enamel bird pins that reflect perfect details of your favorite bird whether that’s a majestic white-bellied sea eagle or a rare forty-spotted pardalote.

Customizable bird pins are made from rich materials and with expert craftsmanship, utilizing artistic designs you create and upload or from real-life photos you’ve taken of birds, which will allow you to fully remember those special birding moments. These keepsake pins can be used to adorn your coat, camera bag, camera strap, hat, or whatever you can think of. These collectible badges will capture the charm and field markings of the bird you choose and you’re sure to be the envy of your birding group friends.

 

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Author: Michael Jerrard

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6 Comments

  1. Loll..The pink robin is the cutest.

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  2. Aren’t they all just so perfect! The Great Cormorant…beautiful….they’re all beautiful.
    We recently visited Tasmania for the first time, nice experience.
    I was looking for a bird I photographed at Dennes Point Bruny Island, but it’s not in this list.

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  3. Can not seem to id a small grey bird with small red spot on head and yellow markings on both wings I see the flying in Launceston.

    Post a Reply
    • Hi Michael,
      Possibly a European goldfinch perhaps, as it does have a red patch on the head and yellow on wings.

  4. Saw a bird that looked a bit like a wattlebird but it had a white beak with a black tip. The crown of his head was black which went into grey on his throat down the chest. Black tail with faint white tips.. would love to know what it was

    Post a Reply
    • Hi Kezz,

      Could it have been a Little Wattlebird? I know you said it looked like a wattlebird but was unsure if you were referring to the Yellow Wattlebird. The description does suit a Little Wattlebird.

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