List of birds of Victoria (state) facts for kids

This is a list of birds of Victoria, Australia.

Victoria is Australia's second-smallest state but has high biodiversity, with 516 bird species recorded — around 54% of Australia's total of 959 bird species in just 3% of Australia's land area.

Birds are present in high concentrations in some areas, including the Western Treatment Plant at Werribee in Melbourne's suburbs, which is a haven for tens of thousands of birds, due to a combination of permanent water, varied landforms and plant species.

Victoria contains a wider variety of natural habitats than any area of similar size in Australia. Habitats range from warm temperate rainforest in the far east of the state (East Gippsland), cool temperate rainforest, heathlands, mallee (stunted eucalypt) scrubland, grasslands, open woodland, montane forest, permanent lakes, estuaries, large permanent rivers, ocean and bay coastline. 4 million hectares of the state's 23.7 million hectare total land and marine area is protected in National Parks and conservation reserves.

Key locations
Species
See also

Key locations

The state of Victoria includes the following 36 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) classified by BirdLife International:

Anderson Inlet
Australian Alps
Barmah-Millewa
Bendigo Box-Ironbark Region
Bellarine Wetlands
Carrum Wetlands
Cheetham & Altona
Corner Inlet
Discovery Bay to Piccaninnie Ponds
Devilbend Reservoir
Gabo & Tullaberga Islands
Gippsland Lakes
Lake Corangamite Complex
Lawrence Rocks
Little Desert
Lower Brodribb River
Maryborough-Dunolly Box-Ironbark Region
Murray-Sunset, Hattah-Kulkyne & Annuello
Nadgee to Mallacoota Inlet
Natimuk-Douglas Wetlands
North Victorian Wetlands
Otway Range
Patho Plains
Phillip Island
Port Fairy to Warrnambool
Puckapunyal
Rushworth Box-Ironbark Region
St Arnaud Box-Ironbark Region
Swan Bay & Port Phillip Bay Islands
Wandown
Warby-Chiltern Box-Ironbark Region
Werribee & Avalon
Western Port
Wilsons Promontory Islands
Wyperfeld, Big Desert & Ngarkat
Yambuk

Several sites in Victoria have been listed amongst Australia's top ten birdwatching locations including:

Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, 40 km west of Melbourne
Mallacoota, East Gippsland, 513 km east of Melbourne
Dandenong Ranges 40 km east of Melbourne
Chiltern 290 km northeast of Melbourne
Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, Mallee (Victoria) 495 km northwest of Melbourne

The following Victorian sites have been listed amongst Australia's top 100 birdwatching locations:

Banyule Flats Reserve, Banyule, 20 km northeast of Melbourne
Phillip Island, South Gippsland, 142 km southeast of Melbourne
Gipsy Point, East Gippsland, 500 km east of Melbourne
You Yangs Regional Park, 60 km west of Melbourne
Port Fairy Pelagic, Port Fairy 288 km west of Melbourne
Bunyip State Park, West Gippsland, 86 km east of Melbourne
Serendip Sanctuary, 60 km west of Melbourne
Cabbage Tree Creek Nature Conservation Reserve, East Gippsland 408 km east of Melbourne
Tarra-Bulga National Park, South Gippsland, 193 km southeast of Melbourne
Little Desert National Park 373 km northwest of Melbourne
Wilsons Promontory National Park, South Gippsland, 213 km southeast of Melbourne
Sale Common Nature Conservation Reserve, Sale, East Gippsland 216 km southeast of Melbourne
Bronzewing Flora & Fauna Reserve, Ouyen Mallee (Victoria), 425 km northwest of Melbourne
Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne 53 km southeast of Melbourne

Species

Ostriches

Order: Struthioniformes Family: Struthionidae

Common ostrich, Struthio camelus – introduced species

Emus

Order: Casuariformes Family: Casuariidae

Emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae

Magpie goose

Order: Anseriformes Family: Anseranatidae

Magpie goose, Anseranas semipalmata – introduced species

Ducks, geese and swans

Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae

Plumed whistling duck, Dendrocygna eytoni
Wandering whistling duck, Dendrocygna arcuata
Blue-billed duck, Oxyura australis
Pink-eared duck, Malacorhynchus membranaceus
Cape Barren goose, Cereopsis novaehollandiae
Black swan, Cygnus atratus
Greylag goose, Anser anser – introduced species
Australian shelduck, Tadorna tadornoides
Hardhead, Aythya australis
Garganey, Spatula querquedula
Australasian shoveller, Spatula rhynchotis
Northern shoveller, Spatula clypeata
Pacific black duck, Anas superciliosa
Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos – introduced species
Grey teal, Anas gracilis
Chestnut teal, Anas castanea
Freckled duck, Stictonetta naevosa
Musk duck, Biziura lobata
Australian wood (maned) duck, Chenonetta jubata
Asian (cotton) pygmy goose, Nettapus coromandelianus

Mound-builders

Order: Galliformes Family: Megapodiidae

Malleefowl, Leipoa ocellata

New World quail

Order: Galliformes Family: Odontophoridae

California quail, Callipepla californica – introduced species

pheasants and quail

Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae

Stubble quail, Coturnix pectoralis
Brown quail, Synoicus ypsilophorus
King (blue-breasted) quail, Synoicus chinensis
Common (ring-necked) pheasant, Phasianus colchicus – introduced species

Grebes

Order: Phoenicopteriformes Family: Podicipedidae

Australasian grebe, Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
Hoary-headed grebe, Poliocephalus poliocephalus
Great crested grebe, Podiceps cristatus

Pigeons and doves

Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae

Rock dove, Columba livia – introduced species
White-headed pigeon, Columba leucomela
African collared (Barbary) dove, Streptopelia roseogrisea – introduced species
Spotted-necked dove, Streptopelia chinensis – introduced species
Brown cuckoo dove, Macropygia amboinensis
Wonga pigeon, Leucosarcia melanoleuca
Common bronzewing, Phaps chalcoptera
Brush bronzewing, Phaps elegans
Crested pigeon, Ocyphaps lophotes
Diamond dove, Geopelia cuneata
Peaceful dove, Geopelia placida
Bar-shouldered dove, Geopelia humeralis
Emerald dove, Chalcophaps indica
Superb fruit dove, Ptilinopus superbus
Rose-crowned fruit dove, Ptilinopus regina
Topknot pigeon, Lopholaimus antarcticus