Melbourne: Exploring a Variety of Bird-watching Niches

Melbourne is surrounded by excellent bird-watching sites with green spaces and waterways, ranging from freshwater, coastal, woodland and forest habitats, all of which are within easy reach of the city. There are so many birds living there that it is strongly suggested to take an illustrated guide before you go bird-watching. For example, Albatrosses, petrels and gulls can be widely seen along its coastline stretching for nearly 100 kilometers.

(Source: quanjing.com)

On the hillsides not far from the city, you can encounter lyrebirds with distinctive voices that can even mimic the sound of a camera shutter. Pink robins, pilot birds and other species native to the moist forest there can be frequently spotted.

(Source: quanjing.com)

The refurbished Western Treatment Plant is a must-see for any bird-watching trip to Melbourne. Lagoons and mudflats in this extensive area are regard as the premier birding destinations in Australia. It is now a major habitat for waterfowl and many other species of water birds. Maybe you can even find swift parrots, a critically endangered species, which are predominantly green, with red on their face and throat, and blue cheeks. Their red shoulders and splashes of blue on the wing are quite noticeable, especially in March and April.

(Source: quanjing.com)

The forests and heathlands in the East of Melbourne are homes to glossy black cockatoos, ground parrots and more. The Great Ocean Road in the southwest of Melbourne is the best place for rufous bristle birds as well as seabirds. In addition, several habitat-restricted species are attracted to the far northwest of Melbourne.