Birds in Western Australia

Of the 14 species in Oz, the most common cockatoos in WA are the Galah and Little Corella.

These cheeky buggers make excellent pets with delightful antics and voice mimicry.

Click on the image for the 'Silly Galahs' story

Budgerigars (budgies) are native to Australia.

These nomadic, storm-chasing, desert bird-tribes have flourished in the Outback for millions of years.

Closely related to the rare, desert Night Parrot and similar in appearance, it is believed budgies can fly at night, if necessary, to find water-bearing electrical storms during harsh droughts

Red Wattlebirds are the second largest honeyeaters in Australia.

They have two distinctive red flaps either side of the neck called wattles.

This noisy and aggressive bird is also known as the Barkingbird because of the harsh raucous squawks used to frighten other birds away from its feeding territory, but it can also sing melodically.

King of the Australian skies.

Wedge-tailed eagles will hunt for a variety of prey including young kangaroos, lizards, rabbits and wallabies.
They will pursue prey with amazing agility, forcing the victim into open land where the clutching power of the deadly talons and the force of the strike is often enough to kill their quarry.

Over three hundred years ago, in 1697, Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh came across a river which he named after the

BLACK SWANS

observed in large multitudes. Until then, all swans were thought to be white.

The official bird of Western Australia.

The Australian Magpie is an intelligent, accomplished songbird with a beautiful melodious call. You can often hear them singing together.

They are excellent mimics and can even imitate the human voice.

A national survey has found that the majority of australians have been attacked by a magpie at some time in their life!

Laughing Kookaburra - an Australian icon.

The popular snake-killing fame of these sit-and-wait predators justified the introduction of 'laughing jackasses' into Western Australia by early settlers from the eastern states.

The predictable early morning 'hideous chorus of feindish laughter' resulted in vernacular names like 'Bushman's Clock' and 'Breakfast Bird' by colonists.

Woody Island near Esperance has abundant bird life due to no predators.

The island is filled with noisy, twittering birds like the Honeyeater, Firetail Finch, Western Silvereye and Golden Whistler.

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Regarded as pests these screeching seed eaters are intelligent thieves.

'PINK AND GREY' GALAHS

are found in flocks of up to 1000 noisy birds performing amazing aerial acrobatics.

If men had wings and bore black feathers few of them would be clever enough to be crows.

(Rev. Henry Beecher, mid 1800's)