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List of birds of Tasmania facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
For birds found on Macquarie Island, which is administered by the Tasmanian Government, see Birds of Macquarie Island.
Anthochaera paradoxa
The yellow wattlebird is Australia's largest honeyeater and an endemic Tasmanian species.

Tasmania, a beautiful island state in Australia, is home to many amazing birds! Over 380 different types of birds have been seen living in the wild here, including on the smaller islands nearby and in the Bass Strait. This list doesn't include birds from Macquarie Island.

Tasmania has 12 bird species that are endemic to the island. This means they are found only in Tasmania and nowhere else in the world! Most of these special birds are common, but some, like the forty-spotted pardalote, are quite rare. Tasmania is also home to the world's only migratory parrots, and both of these species are currently facing threats.

Some types of penguins visit Tasmania's shores in late summer. Because of its unique birds, Tasmania is known as an "Endemic Bird Area" (EBA). These are special places around the world that have at least two bird species found only there.

Even though Tasmania has been separated from mainland Australia for about 10,000 years, the islands in the Bass Strait have helped many birds travel between the two landmasses. Tasmania has about 5,400 kilometers (3,400 miles) of coastline and 350 islands, making it a wonderful home for many different birds.

You'll find lots of birds in Tasmania's wetlands and waterways. Ten of these watery places are so important that they are protected by an international agreement called the Ramsar Convention. Many birds that migrate long distances use Tasmania's bays, mudflats, and beaches to find food. This includes threatened birds like the hooded plover and little tern, which also lay their eggs along the coast. The critically endangered orange-bellied parrot breeds in the button grass grasslands of the southwest. Many rare birds live in Tasmania's eucalyptus forests or rainforests, which cover a large part of the island.

This list uses British English names for birds. Unless noted, all birds listed here live in Tasmania regularly. Some are permanent residents, while others visit in summer or winter, or are just passing through.

Here are some special codes you'll see:

  • (I) – Introduced: Birds brought to Tasmania by humans.
  • (Ex) – Extinct: Birds that no longer exist.
  • (V) – Uncommon vagrants: Birds that are rarely seen in Tasmania.
  • (E) – Endemic: Birds found only in Tasmania.

Contents

Big Birds: Emus and Geese

Emus: Tasmania's Lost Giants

Order: Casuariformes Family: Dromaiidae

Long ago, two types of emus lived in Tasmania, but they are now gone. The King Island emu disappeared around 1802, and the emus on mainland Tasmania were gone by 1865. It's not clear if the Tasmanian emu was a separate type or not.

Magpie Goose: A Rare Visitor

Order: Anseriformes Family: Anseranatidae

The magpie goose is a very old type of bird, different from other ducks and geese. It's only seen in Tasmania sometimes.

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

PBD hybrid
Mallard × Pacific black duck hybrid, Richmond, Tasmania

Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae

This family includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are great at living in water! They have webbed feet, flat bills, and special feathers that shed water.

Cereopsis novaehollandiae 2
Cape Barren goose

Quails and Pheasants

New World Quail: An Introduced Species

Order: Galliformes Family: Odontophoridae

New World quails are small, plump birds that live on the ground. They look like Old World quails but are not closely related. One type, the California quail, now lives in Tasmania after being brought here by humans.

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae

This family includes pheasants and their relatives. They are ground-dwelling birds, often plump with short, broad wings. Many are hunted for sport or raised for food. Two species are native to Tasmania.

Grebes: Diving Birds

Order: Podicipediformes Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-sized birds that dive in freshwater. They have special lobed toes that help them swim and dive very well. However, their feet are set far back on their bodies, making them clumsy on land. Three species have been seen in Tasmania.

Pigeons and Doves

Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are birds with sturdy bodies, short necks, and thin bills. Eight species have been recorded in Tasmania.

Cuckoos: Tricky Birds

Chrysococcyx lucidus -Tasmania-8
Shining bronze cuckoo

Order: Cuculiformes Family: Cuculidae

This family includes cuckoos. These birds vary in size and have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.

Nocturnal Birds: Frogmouths and Owlet-Nightjars

Frogmouths: Masters of Disguise

Order: Caprimulgiformes Family: Podargidae

Frogmouths are unique, small birds that are active at night. They are found from India to Australia. One species lives in Tasmania.

Owlet-Nightjars: Small Night Birds

Order: Caprimulgiformes Family: Aegothelidae

Owlet-nightjars are another group of small, nocturnal birds. They are found in places like New Guinea and Australia.

Swifts: Birds of the Air

Order: Caprimulgiformes Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds that spend most of their lives flying! They have very short legs and almost never land on the ground. Instead, they perch on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long, swept-back wings that look like a crescent moon.

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots: Shy Water Birds

Tasmanian-Native-hen
Tasmanian nativehen

Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae

This is a large family of small to medium-sized birds like rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. They usually live in thick plants near lakes, swamps, or rivers. They are often shy and hard to spot. Most have strong legs and long toes, perfect for soft, uneven ground. They tend to have short, rounded wings and are not strong flyers.

Shorebirds and Waders

Thick-knees: Large-Eyed Night Birds

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Burhinidae

Thick-knees are mostly tropical birds that are active at night. They have strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes, and camouflage feathers. One species is a rare visitor to Tasmania.

  • Bush thick-knee, Burhinus grallarius (V)

Stilts and Avocets: Long-Legged Waders

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Recurvirostridae

This family includes avocets and stilts, which are large wading birds. Avocets have long legs and bills that curve upwards. Stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. All three species found on the mainland have been seen in Tasmania.

  • Pied stilt, Himantopus leucocephalus (V)
  • Red-necked avocet, Recurvirostra novaehollandiae (V)

Oystercatchers: Shellfish Eaters

Haematopus fuliginosus 1
Sooty oystercatcher on Coles Bay, Tasmania

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Haematopodidae

Oystercatchers are large, noisy birds that look like plovers. They have strong bills that they use to smash or pry open shellfish. Two species have been seen in Tasmania.

Lapwings and Plovers: Open Country Birds

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae

Vanellus miles Bruny Island
Masked lapwing on beach, Bruny Island

This family includes plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies and short, thick necks. They often live in open areas, especially near water. In Tasmania, ten species have been recorded.

Painted-Snipe: A Rare Australian Visitor

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Rostratulidae

Painted-snipes are a family of three snipe-like birds found in South America, Asia, and Australia. The Australian species is a rare visitor to Tasmania.

Sandpipers and Allies: Diverse Shorebirds

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae

Limosa lapponica flock - Orielton Lagoon
Part of a flock of bar-tailed godwit, Orielton Lagoon

This is a large and varied family of small to medium-sized shorebirds. It includes sandpipers, curlews, godwits, and snipes. Most of these birds eat small invertebrates (like worms) from mud or soil. Different bill and leg lengths allow many species to feed in the same areas without competing for food.

Calidris ruficollis
Red-necked stint at Orford, winter plumage

Buttonquail: Quail-Like Shorebirds

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Turnicidae

Buttonquail are an ancient group of shorebirds that look a lot like true quails, but they are not related. They are found in Africa, Asia, and Australia, with one species reaching Tasmania.

Seabirds

Skuas and Jaegers: Strong Fliers

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Stercorariidae

Skuas are medium to large birds, usually grey or brown, often with white marks on their wings. They have longish bills with hooked tips and webbed feet with sharp claws. They are strong, acrobatic flyers.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers: Coastal Birds

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae

Larus pacificus Bruny Island
Pacific gull on the beach at Bruny Island

Gulls are typically medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings. They have strong, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are generally medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on their heads. They are lighter and more streamlined than gulls and look graceful in flight with long tails and narrow wings. In Tasmania, three species of gulls and thirteen species of terns have been recorded.

Tropicbirds: Long-Tailed Ocean Birds

Order: Phaethontiformes Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, known for their exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their long wings have black markings, as does their head. One species is a rare visitor to Tasmanian waters.

Penguins: Flightless Swimmers

Eudyptula minor Bruny 1
A wild little penguin returning to its burrow to feed its chicks on Bruny Island

Order: Sphenisciformes Family: Spheniscidae

Penguins are a group of water birds that cannot fly. They live almost entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. One species, the Little Penguin, breeds on the Tasmanian coast.

Albatrosses: Giants of the Sky

Thalassarche cauta in flight - SE Tasmania
Shy albatross breed on three Tasmanian offshore islands

Order: Procellariiformes Family: Diomedeidae

Albatrosses are a family of large seabirds found in the Southern and North Pacific Oceans. The largest ones are among the biggest flying birds in the world!

Southern Storm-Petrels: Small Seabirds

Order: Procellariiformes Family: Oceanitidae

Southern storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds. They are related to petrels and feed on tiny sea creatures and small fish from the water's surface, often while hovering. Their flight is fluttery, sometimes like a bat.

Shearwaters and Petrels: True Ocean Wanderers

Order: Procellariiformes Family: Procellariidae

This is the main group of medium-sized "true petrels." They have nostrils that are joined together and a long outer flight feather.

Puffinus tenuirostris 3
Short-tailed shearwater fledgling

Frigatebirds: Aerial Masters

Order: Suliformes Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are big, black, or black-and-white, with long wings and deeply forked tails. Males have colorful throat pouches that they can inflate. They don't swim or walk well and can't take off from a flat surface. They have the largest wingspan compared to their body weight of any bird, allowing them to stay in the air for more than a week!

Boobies and Gannets: Plunge Divers

Morus serrator roost - Cheverton Rock
Australasian gannet (Morus serrator), Cheverton Rock, Tasmania, Australia

Order: Suliformes Family: Sulidae

This family includes gannets and boobies. Both are medium-large coastal seabirds that dive headfirst into the water to catch fish.

Anhingas: Snake-Necked Divers

Order: Suliformes Family: Anhingidae

Darters are water birds that look like cormorants, with long necks and straight bills. They eat fish and often swim with only their neck above the water, looking like a snake! One species is a rare visitor to Tasmania.

Cormorants and Shags: Dark Water Birds

Phalacrocorax carbo and Phalacrocorax fuscescens -Tasmania-8
Great cormorant (left) and black-faced cormorant (right)

Order: Suliformes Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium to large water birds, usually with dark feathers and colored skin on their faces. Their bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. They have four webbed toes, which is a special feature among their bird group.

Pelicans: Pouch-Billed Birds

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a unique pouch under their bills. Like other birds in their group, they have four webbed toes. One species has been seen in Tasmania.

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns: Wading Birds

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Ardeidae

Egretta novaehollandiae Tasmania 1
White-faced heron

This family includes herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to have shorter necks and are more secretive. These birds fly with their necks pulled back, unlike other long-necked birds.

Ibises and Spoonbills: Long-Billed Waders

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Threskiornithidae

This family includes ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings and long bodies with long legs. Their bills are also long: ibises have downward-curved bills, while spoonbills have straight, flat, spoon-shaped bills.

Birds of Prey

Osprey: The Fish Hunter

Order: Accipitriformes Family: Pandionidae

The family Pandionidae has only one species: the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large bird of prey that specializes in eating fish. It is found all over the world.

  • Osprey, Pandion haliaetus (V)

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites: Powerful Hunters

Order: Accipitriformes Family: Accipitridae

This family includes hawks, eagles, kites, and harriers. These birds of prey have large, strong, hooked beaks for tearing meat from their prey. They also have strong legs, powerful talons (claws), and excellent eyesight.

Juvenile White-bellied Sea-eagle
juvenile white-bellied sea eagle in flight, River Derwent

Barn Owls: Heart-Faced Hunters

Order: Strigiformes Family: Tytonidae

Barn owls are medium to large owls with big heads and unique heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons.

Owls: Night Hunters

Order: Strigiformes Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are solitary birds of prey that hunt at night. They have large, forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a clear circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.

  • Tasmanian boobook, Ninox leucopsis (E)

Colorful Birds

Kingfishers: Brightly Colored Divers

Order: Coraciiformes Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.

Bee-eaters: Insect Eaters

Order: Coraciiformes Family: Meropidae

Bee-eaters are known for their richly colored feathers, slender bodies, and usually long central tail feathers. They all have long, downturned bills and pointed wings, which make them look like swallows when flying.

Rollers: Crow-Sized Beauties

Order: Coraciiformes Family: Coraciidae

Rollers are similar in size and shape to crows, but they are more closely related to kingfishers and bee-eaters. They are also very colorful, mostly blue and brown.

Falcons: Fast Hunters=

Order: Falconiformes Family: Falconidae

This family includes falcons. They are different from hawks and eagles because they kill their prey with their beaks instead of their talons.

Parrots and Cockatoos

Cockatoos: Crested and Noisy

Yelltowtail in pine
Yellow-tailed black cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus funereus xanthanota

Order: Psittaciformes Family: Cacatuidae

Cockatoos are a special group of parrots known for their crests (feathers on their heads) and usually plain-colored feathers. They are generally large and noisy, and a common sight in Australia and Tasmania.

Old World Parrots: Colorful and Clever

Platycercus caledonicus -Tasmania -side-8
Green rosella

Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittaculidae

Parrots have strong, curved bills, stand upright, and have strong legs with clawed feet that can grip branches. Many parrots are brightly colored. Old World parrots are found from Africa to Australia and New Zealand.

Songbirds and Perching Birds

Lyrebirds: Amazing Mimics

Order: Passeriformes Family: Menuridae

Lyrebirds are two species of Australian birds that live on the ground. They are famous for being incredible mimics, meaning they can copy many different sounds. One species has been brought to Tasmania.

Australasian Treecreepers: Bark Climbers

Order: Passeriformes Family: Climacteridae

These are medium-small, mostly brown birds with patterns on their undersides.

Fairywrens: Tiny Insect Eaters

Malurus cyaneus cyaneus
Superb fairywren, Malurus cyaneus cyaneus

Order: Passeriformes Family: Maluridae

Fairywrens are a family of small birds that eat insects. They are found only in Australia and New Guinea. Two species are native to Tasmania.

Honeyeaters: Nectar Lovers

Lichenostomus flavicollis
Yellow-throated honeyeater at Austins Ferry, Tasmania

Order: Passeriformes Family: Meliphagidae

Honeyeaters are a varied group of birds that eat nectar and insects. They are found across Australia and nearby areas. Eleven species live in Tasmania, and four of these are endemic, including Australia's largest honeyeater, the yellow wattlebird.

Pardalotes: Small and Bright

Order: Passeriformes Family: Pardalotidae

Pardalotes are a small family of very tiny, brightly colored birds native to Australia. They have short tails, strong legs, and blunt beaks. They eat insects, usually from the tops of eucalyptus trees, and nest in burrows. Three species are found in Tasmania, and one of them is endemic and endangered.

Thornbills and Allies: Small Insect Eaters

Order: Passeriformes Family: Acanthizidae

Sericornis humilis -Tasmania-8
Tasmanian scrubwren

This group includes 35 species of small to medium-sized birds that mostly eat insects. They have short, rounded wings, thin bills, long legs, and short tails. Most have olive, grey, or brown feathers. Six species are found in Tasmania, and three of them are endemic.

Quail-Thrushes: Ground Dwellers

Order: Passeriformes Family: Cinclosomatidae

Quail-thrushes are medium-sized songbirds found in open forests. They are adapted to living on the ground and have strong legs and beaks. One species reaches Tasmania.

  • Spotted quail-thrush, Cinclosoma punctatum

Cuckooshrikes: Drab but Interesting

Order: Passeriformes Family: Campephagidae

Cuckooshrikes are a family of mostly dull-colored birds that eat insects. They are not related to cuckoos or shrikes.

Whistlers and Allies: Talented Singers

Colluricincla harmonica -Tasmania-8
Grey shrikethrush

Order: Passeriformes Family: Pachycephalidae

This large group of birds includes whistlers and shrikethrushes. They are mostly insect eaters, but larger species might also eat small animals like frogs. Most have dull feathers, but some are very good singers.

Old World Orioles: Colorful Songbirds

Order: Passeriformes Family: Oriolidae

Old World orioles are colorful songbirds. They are not related to the New World orioles.

Woodswallows, Bellmagpies, and Allies: Familiar Australian Birds

Black currawong
Black currawong

Order: Passeriformes Family: Artamidae

This family includes crow-like birds and the smaller woodswallows. They are some of the most well-known and best singing birds in Australia and Tasmania. Six species are found in Tasmania.

Fantails: Agile Insect Hunters

Order: Passeriformes Family: Rhipiduridae

Fantails are a family of small birds that eat insects. They are known for their fanned tails.

Monarch Flycatchers: Forest Dwellers

Order: Passeriformes Family: Monarchidae

Monarch flycatchers are a diverse family of about 140 species of birds found from Africa to Australia. They generally live in the upper or lower parts of forests.

Crows, Jays, and Magpies: Smart Birds

Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae

This family includes crows, ravens, and magpies. These birds are larger than average for their group, and some of the bigger species are very intelligent. Two black-feathered ravens are found in Tasmania.

Australasian Robins: Red-Breasted Beauties

Melanodryas vittata Bruny
Dusky robin

Order: Passeriformes Family: Petroicidae

Australasian robins are a group of small birds that eat insects. The males of many species have bright red or pink feathers on their chests.

Larks: Ground Birds with Songs

Order: Passeriformes Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small birds that live on the ground. They are known for their often elaborate songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly plain in color. They eat insects and seeds.

Cisticolas and Allies: Small Passerines

Order: Passeriformes Family: Cisticolidae

Cisticolas and their allies are a family of about 110 small birds found mainly in warmer southern parts of the Old World. One species reaches Tasmania.

Reed Warblers: Wetland Birds

Order: Passeriformes Family: Acrocephalidae

Members of this family are usually quite large for "warblers." Most are plain olive-brown on top and yellowish or beige underneath. They are usually found in open woodlands, reedbeds, or tall grass.

Grassbirds and Allies: Insect-Eating Songbirds

Order: Passeriformes Family: Locustellidae

Grassbirds and songlarks are a newly recognized family of small birds that eat insects.

Swallows: Aerial Feeders

Welcome Swallow on rail
Welcome swallow

Order: Passeriformes Family: Hirundinidae

The swallow family is adapted to catching food while flying. They have slender, streamlined bodies, long pointed wings, and short bills with wide mouths. Their feet are made for perching, not walking.

White-eyes: Fluffy Birds

Zosterops lateralis -Tasmania-8
Silvereye

Order: Passeriformes Family: Zosteropidae

White-eyes are a large family of mostly Old World birds. They vary in size and color but are known for their soft, fluffy feathers. These are tropical birds, and one species reaches Tasmania.

Starlings: Gregarious Birds

Order: Passeriformes Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized Old World birds with strong feet. They fly strongly and directly, and most live in groups. They prefer open country and eat insects and fruit. The feathers of some species are dark with a metallic shine.

Thrushes and Allies: Old World Songbirds

Zoothera lunulata Bruny
Bassian thrush

Order: Passeriformes Family: Turdidae

True thrushes are a group of songbirds found mainly in the Old World.

Flowerpeckers: Small and Bright

Order: Passeriformes Family: Dicaeidae

Flowerpeckers are very small, sturdy, often brightly colored birds with short tails, short, thick, curved bills, and tubular tongues.

Waxbills and Allies: Finch-Like Birds

Order: Passeriformes Family: Estrildidae

Estrildid finches are small birds that look like finches or sparrows. They are found in the Old World tropics and Australasia. One species reaches Tasmania.

Old World Sparrows: Common Seed Eaters

Order: Passeriformes Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small birds. They tend to be plump, brownish or grayish, with short tails and strong, short beaks. Sparrows eat seeds, but they also eat small insects. One species has been brought to Tasmania.

Wagtails and Pipits: Ground Feeders

Order: Passeriformes Family: Motacillidae

This family includes wagtails and pipits. They are slender, insect-eating birds that feed on the ground in open areas.

  • Australian pipit, Anthus australis

Finches and Allies: Seed-Eating Songbirds

Order: Passeriformes Family: Fringillidae

Finches are seed-eating birds that are small to medium-sized. They have strong, often cone-shaped beaks. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primary flight feathers. These birds have a bouncy flight, and most sing well.

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See also

  • List of Australian birds
  • List of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds
  • Birds of Australia
  • Lists of birds by region
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List of birds of Tasmania Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.