Local Bird Guide
Image: Juvenile Blue-Faced Honeyeater credit: Shirley Hitschmann H&M Productions
Agnes Water and its surrounds is home to over 200 different birds calling the area home or visiting at certain times of the year, we have developed this guide to help you discover and learn about some of our most commonly sighted birds and their habitats.
Supported by BirdLife Australia
This bird guide has been made possible through generous funding from BirdLife Australia / Queensland.
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Australasian Darter
Often mistaken for a snake in the water, the Australasian Darter swims with only its long neck and sharp beak above the surface, earning it the nickname “snakebird.” It’s a […]
Australasian Figbird
With olive-green plumage and a brilliant red facial skin (in males), the Australasian Figbird adds a tropical splash to coastal treetops. Females are softer brown and streaked below — the […]
Australasian Gannet
A sleek, powerful seabird with white body, black-tipped wings, and a yellow head. Known for plunging into the ocean from great heights.
Australasian Grebe
This compact little waterbird is a marvel of buoyancy and stealth. You’ll often spot it paddling quietly in a pond or lake—until it vanishes below the surface with barely a […]
Australasian Swamphen
A bold and unmistakable wetland resident, the Australasian Swamphen struts through reed beds and along dam edges with an air of total confidence. Its deep royal-blue body, bright red bill, […]
Australian brush-turkey
A large, black, ground-dwelling bird with a bald red head and a striking yellow (or purple) throat wattle in males. You’ll often hear them noisily scratching through gardens or forest […]
Australian Bustard
The iconic Bustard and one of the birds felled by the crew of the Endevour, is a tall, stately and prehistoric-looking. The Australian Bustard strides through open country like it […]
Australian King-Parrot
Found in forests and gardens, the male King-Parrot are dressed in bright red and emerald green while the females wear green jackets with just a splash of red—nature’s way of […]
Australian magpie
One of Australia’s most iconic birds, known for its flute-like song and bold black-and-white plumage. Magpies are intelligent, social, and full of personality.
Australian Owlet-nightjar
Small, round and bright-eyed like a tiny owl who missed its bedtime. Secretive through the day, emerging silently at dusk from tree hollows.
Australian Pelican
One of the most recognizable and majestic birds along the Agnes Water coastline, the Australian Pelican is known for its strikingly large bill and expansive wingspan. These pelicans are often […]
Australian Pied Oystercatcher
A bold black and white bird with a long orange bill and legs. Uses its bill to pry open shellfish.
Australian Pipit
A slim sandy-brown ground bird that teeters when it walks, tail flicking rhythmically as if keeping time to an invisible beat.
Australian White Ibis
Away from urban areas, the Australian White Ibis is a graceful and deliberate wetland bird, moving slowly through shallow water while probing mud with its long curved bill. Its white […]
Australian Wood Duck
Looking more like a delicate goose than a duck, the Australian Wood Duck (sometimes known as a Maned Duck) sports a brown head, grey speckled body, and soft whistling call. […]
Azure Kingfisher
A jewel of the waterways, the Azure Kingfisher dazzles with electric-blue upperparts and a glowing orange chest. Often a quick flash along creek banks, it perches quietly before darting to […]
Bar-shouldered Dove
Neat dove with a scaled neck and a reddish patch on its shoulder, found in woodlands and urban gardens in the north and east.
Bar-tailed Godwit
A medium to large migratory wader, famous for its long-distance flights without rest, and seen along sandy and muddy shores.
Barking Owl
Warm brown owl with piercing yellow eyes and a call remarkably like a dog’s bark, echoing along rivers and woodlands.
Beach Stone-curlew
A large, cryptic shorebird with striking facial markings and thick legs. It moves slowly and freezes when disturbed.
Black Swan
The Black Swan glides across still water with quiet elegance, its curved neck and dark plumage creating a striking silhouette. In flight, flashes of brilliant white wing feathers appear, offering […]
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
A sleek grey bird with a distinctive black “mask,” the Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike glides gracefully across open skies. It’s often seen wing-shuffling when it lands — a quirky habit unique to […]
Black-fronted Dotterel
Small shorebird dressed like it’s wearing a formal black waistcoat with striking face mask and collar.
Black-necked Stork
Australia’s only stork is a truly commanding sight, towering above other waterbirds as it stalks wetlands with slow, deliberate movements.Its glossy black neck and wings shimmer green and purple in […]
Black-shouldered Kite
A sleek, ghost-grey hunter with black shoulder patches like epaulettes, floating effortlessly above grasslands and open paddocks. Often seen hovering in place, head perfectly still while the wind rushes around […]
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Large honeyeater with bright blue skin around the eyes, white belly and black-and-green upperparts. Often seen in parks and gardens.
Brahminy Kite
This medium-sized raptor with striking chestnut plumage and a contrasting white head and breast, is often seen gliding over coastal regions and wetlands. Once you have learned to identify it, […]
Brolga
Tall, elegant, and deeply symbolic, the Brolga is one of Australia’s most iconic wetland birds, with silver grey plumage, long legs, and a vivid red crown. Their deep trumpeting calls […]
Brown Booby
A striking seabird with chocolate-brown plumage and a white belly. Known for its dramatic plunge-diving to catch fish.
Brown Cuckoo-dove
Slender, long-tailed dove with warm chestnut plumage, usually found in rainforests or dense thickets.
Australasian Darter
Often mistaken for a snake in the water, the Australasian Darter swims with only its long neck and sharp beak above the surface, earning it the nickname “snakebird.” It’s a […]
Australasian Figbird
With olive-green plumage and a brilliant red facial skin (in males), the Australasian Figbird adds a tropical splash to coastal treetops. Females are softer brown and streaked below — the […]
Australasian Gannet
A sleek, powerful seabird with white body, black-tipped wings, and a yellow head. Known for plunging into the ocean from great heights.
Australasian Grebe
This compact little waterbird is a marvel of buoyancy and stealth. You’ll often spot it paddling quietly in a pond or lake—until it vanishes below the surface with barely a […]
Australasian Swamphen
A bold and unmistakable wetland resident, the Australasian Swamphen struts through reed beds and along dam edges with an air of total confidence. Its deep royal-blue body, bright red bill, […]
Australian brush-turkey
A large, black, ground-dwelling bird with a bald red head and a striking yellow (or purple) throat wattle in males. You’ll often hear them noisily scratching through gardens or forest […]
Australian Bustard
The iconic Bustard and one of the birds felled by the crew of the Endevour, is a tall, stately and prehistoric-looking. The Australian Bustard strides through open country like it […]
Australian King-Parrot
Found in forests and gardens, the male King-Parrot are dressed in bright red and emerald green while the females wear green jackets with just a splash of red—nature’s way of […]
Australian magpie
One of Australia’s most iconic birds, known for its flute-like song and bold black-and-white plumage. Magpies are intelligent, social, and full of personality.
Australian Owlet-nightjar
Small, round and bright-eyed like a tiny owl who missed its bedtime. Secretive through the day, emerging silently at dusk from tree hollows.
Australian Pelican
One of the most recognizable and majestic birds along the Agnes Water coastline, the Australian Pelican is known for its strikingly large bill and expansive wingspan. These pelicans are often […]
Australian Pied Oystercatcher
A bold black and white bird with a long orange bill and legs. Uses its bill to pry open shellfish.
Australian Pipit
A slim sandy-brown ground bird that teeters when it walks, tail flicking rhythmically as if keeping time to an invisible beat.
Australian White Ibis
Away from urban areas, the Australian White Ibis is a graceful and deliberate wetland bird, moving slowly through shallow water while probing mud with its long curved bill. Its white […]
Australian Wood Duck
Looking more like a delicate goose than a duck, the Australian Wood Duck (sometimes known as a Maned Duck) sports a brown head, grey speckled body, and soft whistling call. […]
Azure Kingfisher
A jewel of the waterways, the Azure Kingfisher dazzles with electric-blue upperparts and a glowing orange chest. Often a quick flash along creek banks, it perches quietly before darting to […]
Bar-shouldered Dove
Neat dove with a scaled neck and a reddish patch on its shoulder, found in woodlands and urban gardens in the north and east.
Bar-tailed Godwit
A medium to large migratory wader, famous for its long-distance flights without rest, and seen along sandy and muddy shores.
Barking Owl
Warm brown owl with piercing yellow eyes and a call remarkably like a dog’s bark, echoing along rivers and woodlands.
Beach Stone-curlew
A large, cryptic shorebird with striking facial markings and thick legs. It moves slowly and freezes when disturbed.
Black Swan
The Black Swan glides across still water with quiet elegance, its curved neck and dark plumage creating a striking silhouette. In flight, flashes of brilliant white wing feathers appear, offering […]
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
A sleek grey bird with a distinctive black “mask,” the Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike glides gracefully across open skies. It’s often seen wing-shuffling when it lands — a quirky habit unique to […]
Black-fronted Dotterel
Small shorebird dressed like it’s wearing a formal black waistcoat with striking face mask and collar.
Black-necked Stork
Australia’s only stork is a truly commanding sight, towering above other waterbirds as it stalks wetlands with slow, deliberate movements.Its glossy black neck and wings shimmer green and purple in […]
Black-shouldered Kite
A sleek, ghost-grey hunter with black shoulder patches like epaulettes, floating effortlessly above grasslands and open paddocks. Often seen hovering in place, head perfectly still while the wind rushes around […]
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Large honeyeater with bright blue skin around the eyes, white belly and black-and-green upperparts. Often seen in parks and gardens.
Brahminy Kite
This medium-sized raptor with striking chestnut plumage and a contrasting white head and breast, is often seen gliding over coastal regions and wetlands. Once you have learned to identify it, […]
Brolga
Tall, elegant, and deeply symbolic, the Brolga is one of Australia’s most iconic wetland birds, with silver grey plumage, long legs, and a vivid red crown. Their deep trumpeting calls […]
Brown Booby
A striking seabird with chocolate-brown plumage and a white belly. Known for its dramatic plunge-diving to catch fish.
Brown Cuckoo-dove
Slender, long-tailed dove with warm chestnut plumage, usually found in rainforests or dense thickets.