List of birds to see in Melbourne... (1 Viewer)

[Tiraya]

I have currently made a list of birds that all (supposedly) occur in the Melbourne area but have not been able to find any sites on the internet where they occur. The birds are as follows:

Tree Sparrow
Long-billed Corella
Eastern/Crimson Rosella, apparently one of the commonest birds around...
Gang-gang Cockatoo (migratory?)
Swift Parrot
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Striated Thornbill
Varied Sitella
any Black Cockatoos, I had heard of a sighting of Yellow-tails in Melbourne zoo from a while back but thats it...
Kookabura

If anyone knows where I can find these birds it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[PhilW]

try the Botanic Gardens. Have seen Kookabura and Crimson Rosella there in the past.

 

[John_WA]

My understanding is that the Red-whiskered Bulbuls in Melbourne have basically died out now. I think there used to be a population along the Yarra River.

 

[EricaF]

Hi,
I have been birdwatching in the Melbourne area for about 4 years and have never seen any of those species. I look at every sparrow in the hopes of distinguishing it from a House Sparrow!
I have seen Gang Gangs in the Grampians and there was a pair feeding and roosting in a tree right in the caravan park at Halls Gap one day. Have also seen them once on a seperate trip on a bushwalk there. Have never seen them close to the city though.
I have seen Yellow Tailed Black cockatoos at Lysterfield when out mountain biking. That's about 45 mins from Melbourne.
I can't think of any corellas around the city but have seen them further out in the country.

Hope that helps,
Erica

 

[PhilW]

See attached pics taken in Melbourne Botanic gardens April 2007.
Crimson Rosella's visit my cousin's garden in nearby Fitzroy.

 

[chowchilla]

Eastern and Crimson Rosellas are generally common to abundant in well-wooded suburbs especially in the taller forest trees in the East of the city, though I have seen Crimson near to the city centre too. There's tons of Crimsons in the hills to the East of Melb'n.

I've seen Gang Gangs around Monbulk and Emerald, two country towns just to the East of Melb'n. They do appear to move around though.

Likewise YT Black Cockatoos were very common around Emerald when I was there a few years ago.

 

[Azzy]

I've lived in Adelaide most of my life, I've lived in melbourne two, I do a fair amount of birding, and I've never managed to see a varied sitella! I would say the long-billed corellas are more common in farmland, however sometimes you can find them in parks and gardens, on the ground usually eating seeds and digging in the dirt. Sometimes they're mixed in with a flock of sulphur crested cockatoos, so they can be hard to pick out sometimes. The eastern and crimson rosellas should also be common in parks and gardens. Like PhilW said, try the botanic gardens, always good for kookaburras, rosellas etc. You'll probably have to go out of melbourne to conservation parks etc to see yellow-tails and gang-gangs. They tend to be more shy. Although I know some people do get them in their garden sometimes.

 

[Tiraya]

Hopefully I will find some of these birds now, thanks for the help. Also, is there more than one Botanic Garden? I have been to the " Botanic Gardens" in St. Kilda and seen Musk Lorikeets, Galahs and a Tawny Frogmouth at the most, and have not seen any Kookaburra-like habitat around there. By chance I just found this link on Urbanbirder.com that mentions Tree Sparrows and also the Song Thrush in Melbourne zoo that says the following:

Two of the introduced species that Melbourne is well known for, the Tree Sparrow and the Song Thrush can both be found in the Melbourne Zoo. Tree Sparrows can most easily be seen in the Lakeside Bistro outdoor garden, when at the zoo I usually order a coffee from the bistro and drink it while sitting in the Japanese Garden, from here it usually doesn't take more than a few minutes scanning to locate a Tree Sparrow hopping around the eves or in some other part of the outdoor courtyard

I guess I will have to find out where the zoo is and try there...

EDIT: I am also on the look out for Forest Crows/Little Ravens, whether they occur in the area or not I don't really know, so any confirmation would be great.

 

[PhilW]

Silverwolf.
The Melbourne Botanic gardens are along the banks of the Yarra close to the Rod Laver Arena. I've seen some fantastic species here during my all to infrequent visits. The trees on the islands are good places to find Nankeen Night Heron. The Kookabura's tend to frequent the older taller trees. Superb Fairy Wrens frequent the area around the coffee shop and there can be a good selection of Wildfowl on the ornamental lakes.

I've seen Little Raven at the park where the Grand Prix is held - sorry I can't remember the name.

Try this link:

http://themelbournebirder.com/index.php?p=1_1

 

[StarainBoy]

I am also on the look out for Forest Crows/Little Ravens, whether they occur in the area or not I don't really know, so any confirmation would be great.

I saw little raven about this time last year and I'm betting that was in the Botanic Gardens but my notes aren't detailed enough to say for sure.

 

[chowchilla]

By far the commonest urban Corvid in Melb'n is the Little Raven. Any Corvids you see there are most likely this species.

 

[Tiraya]

By far the commonest urban Corvid in Melb'n is the Little Raven. Any Corvids you see there are most likely this species.

I always believed the birds I saw were Australian Ravens. My book mentions that the Australian Raven's call is a "uh uh" type and the Little Raven is a fast-paced "car car" (the latter of which I have not heard). I haven't actually noticed any with bushy throat feathers...

EDIT: While I am at it I will bore you (not purposely of course) with some more...These will be the last birds I post on this forum.
Kelp Gull (any chance that these turn up along the coastline?)
other Fairy-wrens
Robins
Bell Miners

Considering I have never seen the Yarra River I guess the gardens I go to are different.

 

[chowchilla]

I always believed the birds I saw were Australian Ravens. My book mentions that the Australian Raven's call is a "uh uh" type and the Little Raven is a fast-paced "car car" (the latter of which I have not heard). I haven't actually noticed any with bushy throat feathers...

EDIT: While I am at it I will bore you (not purposely of course) with some more...These will be the last birds I post on this forum.
Kelp Gull (any chance that these turn up along the coastline?)
other Fairy-wrens
Robins
Bell Miners

Considering I have never seen the Yarra River I guess the gardens I go to are different.

I finally ticked off Aust. Raven in WA last year and they are completely different. It's a case of, 'you'll know it when you see (and hear) them'.

There's a colony of Bell Miners in the Botanical Gardens (at least I assume they're still there). The call is unmistakable. Yet another reason to go there, methinks.

 

[Tiraya]

As luck would have it (or not have it) I saw an Eastern Rosella today staring me in the eye for 2 minutes straight without my camera available. That was not the end either when a Pallid Cuckoo landed next to it...Argh...

 

[PhilW]

I finally ticked off Aust. Raven in WA last year and they are completely different. It's a case of, 'you'll know it when you see (and hear) them'.

There's a colony of Bell Miners in the Botanical Gardens (at least I assume they're still there). The call is unmistakable. Yet another reason to go there, methinks.

Bell Miners very common in Botanic Gardens around same area where the Kookabura frequents - close to an arm of the main lake in scrub. See attached.

As Inormally stay in the city centre and walk up I'm not sure of the various gate numbers. The Bell Miners frequent an area near the gate that has the old cottage at its entrance and you walk down some stone steps.

 

[Chlidonias]

the Botanic Gardens are great for all sorts of birds. Bell miners are REALLY common there. Also little raven, reed warbler, song thrush etc

A good place just outside the city is Sherbrooke Forest in the Dandenongs. You can take a train from the city to the Belgrave station and then either bus or walk to the car-parking area of the forest where there are masses of parrots hanging around waiting to be fed (eg crimson rosella, king parrot, sulphur-crest, galah). In the forest itself there are kookaburra, eastern yellow robin etc

Banyule Flats Reserve is another good place where you can find eastern rosella amongst others (but I can't remember the directions...its a train and then a bus I think...someone else is bound to be able to tell you - its by the suburb of Rosanna if that helps)

 

[colonelboris]

I'm in Melbourne (or rather at Monash) for a couple days from tomorrow. I'll have to see if I can get over to the gardens for a spot of birding if there's enough time off...

 

[chowchilla]

I'm in Melbourne (or rather at Monash) for a couple days from tomorrow. I'll have to see if I can get over to the gardens for a spot of birding if there's enough time off...

You should be able to see Blackbirds and Song Thrushes there if you do visit.

 

[Allen S. Moore]

You should be able to see Blackbirds and Song Thrushes there if you do visit.

Good on yah Chowchilla!

 

[colonelboris]

You should be able to see Blackbirds and Song Thrushes there if you do visit.

It's rather comforting to hear Blackbirds singing in the morning....
Not been going too bad so far - one lifer and two year ticks.