Items19The creator’s order
  1. 1Laughing kookaburraLaughing kookaburraListen for the rolling laugh, then check for a sturdy bird with a heavy bill and a dark stripe across the eye. It often waits on an exposed branch before dropping toward prey. In northern Australia, a pale eye and a larger patch of blue can point to the related Blue-winged Kookaburra instead.0
  2. 2Australian magpieAustralian magpieOne sign of a nearby Australian magpie is its liquid, bubbling song. The black-and-white blocks on the body are useful, but the back can be darker or whiter depending on where you are. A pale bill with a dark tip helps distinguish it from a Pied Currawong with a black bill.0
  3. 3GalahGalahA galah has a pink head and chest against pale gray wings. The contrast is easy to see when a flock drops to open grass to feed. If a gray-looking flock flashes pink as it turns, you may have a better clue from the whole group than from a single distant bird.0
  4. 4Sulphur-crested cockatooSulphur-crested cockatooA white cockatoo with a tall yellow crest can make itself known with a harsh call before you locate it. Check the crest when it lifts. A long-billed corella can also look white from far away, but the prominent yellow crest is the detail to remember here.0
  5. 5Rainbow lorikeetRainbow lorikeetLook for a dark blue head above an orange chest and bright green wings. The birds often call as they move between flowering trees, so a noisy rush overhead can be a cue to check the nearest blossoms. A Scaly-breasted Lorikeet has a green head and yellow markings on a green chest.0
  6. 6Willie wagtailWillie wagtailWatch a little black-and-white bird wag its long tail from side to side as it hunts on open ground. The white brows are a good close clue after the tail motion has caught your eye.0
  7. 7Superb fairywrenSuperb fairywrenA blue breeding male makes an easy first sighting, but many of the fairywrens moving through a garden edge look brown. Look for the small body and upright tail near low cover. Adult females have a reddish area around the eye, a detail worth checking if the blue bird has already vanished.0
  8. 8Noisy minerNoisy minerThis gray native honeyeater has yellow skin around the eye and a yellow bill. Listen for groups in open woodland or gardens. The introduced Common Myna also has yellow near its eye, but its brown body and black head distinguish it from a Noisy Miner.0
  9. 9Crested pigeonCrested pigeonThe thin head crest gives away this pigeon even when its wing colors look dull. When the bird takes off, listen for the whistling sound from its wings. A brief upward tilt of the tail on landing is another detail to watch for in open parks and gardens.0
  10. 10Pied currawongPied currawongA black bird looking at you with a bright yellow eye could be a currawong. Look for white at the base and tip of its tail, and a patch that shows in the wing during flight. The black bill helps resolve a quick comparison with an Australian magpie.0