Photos And Information About Birds Commonly Found In South Gippsland

Crimson Rosella – A very colourful bird that is often tamed and kept in cages. They can be quite noisy and love to eat the fruit from the trees, but their beauty and interest tends to surpass any damage they may do to our plants. When I was growing up, we had several as pets that learned to chatter and whistle with patience and persistent training. I much prefer to see them these days in their natural habitat. The young ones are more of a solid green colour and you can see them change (somewhat scruffily when in transition) to the more vibrant colours as they get older. Below is a compilation of several images of Crimson Rosella’s in the my garden, with the transition between the young green colour, to the older crimson red.

Kookaburra – These amusing native birds are common throughout Australia, especially where there are tall trees for nesting and open woodland for hunting. It’s common to see them perched on clothes lines (like the one in the photo below who was a regular visitor to my neighbours garden in Foster) and also high above on power lines, eagerly looking for food. I’ve most often seen them with large earth worms, mice and the occasional small snake hanging out of their beaks. Their laugh is loud and is usually unmistakeably joined, in a chorus of many.

 

Blue Wren – These delightful tiny birds are often found twittering around in the local gardens and are quite common to many regions of South Gippsland. The male carries the blue colour which is often in nature needed to attract the female. She is a bland grey colour, but as they have a tendency to visit in groups with their young in tow, seeing the range of different colour tones creates interest anyway.

Wattle Birds – These rather noisy birds are a type of honey-eater and feed mainly on nectar and insects, but also eat flowers, berries and some seeds. A neighbour of mine finds their noise and activity annoying but I find them quite entertaining and enjoy watching them swoop and catch moths on a humid night just before the rain comes.

Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo – These noisy birds are often perched high in the pine trees, eating the tips of the branches and decimating the pine cones themselves. I have driven along the road only to have one dropped on my windscreen from these somewhat destructive creatures. If you watch the direction of their flight path, they are reputed to predict the rain when making a change and heading in the direction of the mountains. I had heard that they only frequent certain areas of Australia, and are probably found throughout most of Victoria. This photo was taken just outside Toora.

Firetails – These small birds are apparently quite rare in certain areas, but I have spied the odd one hopping around on the ground in my garden. Firetail finches are generally found in open grassy woodland and grassland that contains scattered trees. It is no wonder they prefer our areas in south eastern Victoria. They are striking to see as the red on the face and tail leaves an impression you won’t forget.

Eastern Spinebill – This little bird is seen regularly enjoying the nectar from my home garden at Mount Best, in fact this photo was taken after I had left and the new owners were enjoying its presence as well. They move quite quickly, darting in and out searching for the sweetness in both the native shrubs and other productive flowers. Thanks to Meredith for providing its correct name for identification in the comment section.

White Cockatoo – The sulphur-crested cockatoo is found in woodlands throughout Australia and make terrific pets if you start befriending them when they are very young. When I was growing up, many of ours would speak and dance and one in particular was funny calling out to Dad, as if Mum was calling him for a meal. They can become a nuisance tearing bits off the side of timber sheds and even had a go at our our cedar clad home. This one was photographed enjoying the seeds on the grasslands at Wilsons Prom.

Photos of Native Wild Bird Species Commonly Found in Australia

The additional pictures below include Australian emu, water birds, male and female blue wrens, willie wagtails, galah, rosella, rainbow lorikeet, ibis, jabiru, seagulls, kookaburra, kingfisher, waterbirds, honey-eaters, white sulphur crested cockatoo, wood duck, cape barren goose, a lovely willie wagtail sitting on the edge of a bird bath, sea birds, Australian Raven, black swans, bush turkeys, magpie, pelicans, and wild ducks.