Birds
Australian magpies
Information about magpies, including appearance, habitat, diet, breeding season, threats and safety techniques to avoid or reduce the impact of a magpie attack.
Birdwatching
Tips for watching birds in their natural habitat.
Bush stone-curlew
Unlike most birds, this species hides during the day and feeds at night, looking for seeds, insects, spiders and small frogs and reptiles. During the day it squats on the grass, either alone or in a small group. When threatened, it will stay still or walk slowly away.
Channel-billed cuckoo
Shy birds, channel-billed cuckoos roost and feed high in the treetops. Recognisable by their toucan-like bill, they grow to 67cm. Like most cuckoos, they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds (e.g. currawongs, magpies, crows), which then raise the cuckoo chicks.
Common Koel
Koels are migratory birds that travel to Australia to breed, arriving in south-east Queensland in spring and staying until March-April
Masked Lapwing or plover
Medium-sized birds, lapwings are brown with a black crown and white underparts. They have long red legs and grow to about 35-38cm. With bright yellow wattles on their forehead and face, and a small spur on the edge of their wing, they are hard to mistake (and frightening if they attack!).
Peregrine falcon
Peregrine falcons are not only the fastest bird in the world, reaching speeds of up to 180km per hour (some estimates even have them flying at much greater speeds) but they are also one of the most agile aerial hunters. Peregrines nest between August and November with females usually laying two to three eggs (rarely four). They have an incubation period of 33 days with the young emerging over two to three days.
Shorebirds
Fifteen species of shorebird are resident in Australia and an additional 34 species are regular migrants. Information includes the titles of the bilateral agreements for migratory bird conservation and the common names, scientific names and conservation status for resident and migratory species.
White-throated nightjar
Though rarely seen, nightjars are common in eastern Australia's coastal ranges from central Queensland to Melbourne. Look for them feeding on insects in campsites or along quiet country roads.