Alice Springs Birds > Alice Springs Birds Index

There are many locations in Alice Springs where you can do a spot of bird watching, from Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Telegraph Station, Sewerage Ponds and the Desert Park. Whilst the Desert Park have a number of avaries (some are walk-in), there are free-roaming birds (that are attracted by the calls of the birds in the avaries). Even the drive through the entrance gate into the Desert Park to the car park (about 1 km), provides opperatunities for some bird watching.

Check out the following selection of bird species that have been sighted around various locations in Alice Springs, Australia. We like to thank the many contributors, who have shared their insights and photographs to the class Aves

Click on the thumbnail images to go to the page on each species of bird…

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)
Alice Springs BIrds
Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis)
Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)
Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella), Alice Springs NT
Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella)
Australian Spotted Crake (Porzana fluminea), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds, NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Spotted Crake (Porzana fluminea)
Grey-crowned Babbler, Olive Pink Botanic Garden
Babblers (genus Pomatostomus)
Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)
Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)
Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops)
Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops)
Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris), Alice Springs Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)
Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) nesting, Alice Springs Sewage Ponds
Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
Brown Falcon (Falco berigora)
Brown Falcon (Falco berigora)
Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus), Alice Springs Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae)
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae)
Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Alice Springs NT © Dorothy Latimer
Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)
Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor)
Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor)
Dusky Grasswren (Amytornis purnelli)
Dusky Grasswren (Amytornis purnelli)
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), Alice Springs Desert Park
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel), Alice Springs, NT
Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel)
Male Flock Bronzewing (Phaps histrionica) at Alice Springs Sewage Ponds NT © Dorothy Latimer
Flock Bronzewing (Phaps histrionica)
Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Alice Springs NT © Dorothy Latimer
Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla)
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)
Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus)
Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta)
Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta)
Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca)
Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca)
Musk Duck (Biziura lobata), Alice Springs Sewerage Ponds NT © Dorothy Latimer
Musk Duck (Biziura lobata)
Orange Chat (Epthianura aurifrons), Alice Springs, NT © Dorothy Latimer
Orange Chat (Epthianura aurifrons)
Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva)
Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva)
Painted Finch (Emblema pictum)
Painted Finch (Emblema pictum)
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)
Pied Honeyeater (Certhionyx variegatus), Alice Springs Desert Park, NT
Pied Honeyeater (Certhionyx variegatus)
Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds, NT © Dorothy Latimer
Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus)
Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds, NT © Dorothy Latimer
Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)0
Port Lincoln Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius)
Port Lincoln Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius)
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis)
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis)
Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)
Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)
Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius), Santa Teresa Road, NT
Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius)
Red-capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii), Alice Springs Desert Park, NT
Red-capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii)
Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus)
Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae)
Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae)
Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)
Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)
Red-tailed Black Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii)
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii)
Ruff (Calidris pugnax), Alice Springs NT © Dorothy Latimer
Ruff (Calidris pugnax)
Sacred Kingfisher at sunrise, Alice Springs © Dorothy L
Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus)
Sanderling (Calidris alba), Alice Springs NT © Dorothy Latimer
Sanderling (Calidris alba)
Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), Alice Springs NT © Dorothy Latimer
Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens)
Spinifex Pigeon (Geophaps plumifera), Alice Springs Desert Park
Spinifex Pigeon (Geophaps plumifera)
Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook), Alice Springs NT © Dorothy Latimer
Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook)
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)
Splendid Fairy-wren (Malurus splendens)
Splendid Fairy-wren (Malurus splendens)
Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis), Alice Spring NT © Dorothy Latimer
Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis)
Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds, NT © Dorothy Latimer
Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis)
Torresian Crow (Corvus orru)
Torresian Crow (Corvus orru)
Variegated Fairywren (Malurus lamberti)
Variegated Fairywren (Malurus lamberti)
Wedge-tail Eagle (Aquila audax), Alice Springs Desert Park
Wedge-tail Eagle (Aquila audax)
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida)
Western Bowerbird, Olive Pink Botanic Garden
Western Bowerbird (Chlamydera guttata)
Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)
Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)
White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata) © Dorothy Latimer
White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata)
Male White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus)
White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus)
Willy Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)
Willy Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)
Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes)
Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula), Alice Springs NT
Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula)

Also check out our Alice Springs Birds at the Ponds Index

Check back as we add more to our Alice Springs Birds sightings.


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Aves

Alice Springs BirdsAlice Springs Birds — Index Babblers Black-faced Cuckooshrike Brown Falcon Channel-billed Cuckoo Crested Pigeon Galah Magpie-lark Musk Duck Port Lincoln Ringneck Rainbow Bee-eater Sacred Kingfisher Sanderling Singing Honeyeater Southern Boobook Spinifex Pigeon Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Splendid Fairy-wren Spotted Dove Wedge-tailed Eagle Western Bowerbird Whistling Kite White-plumed Honeyeater Willie Wagtail Yellow-throated Miner

Alice Springs FaunaAlice Springs Native Bees Alice Springs Beetles Alice Springs Birds Alice Springs Gastropods (Gastropoda) Alice Springs Insects Alice Springs Marsupials Alice Springs Reptiles Alice Springs Spiders

Alice Springs FloraAlice Springs Flora Index Acacia ligulata Annual Yellowtop Bougainvillea Apple Bush Burdekin Plum Carob Tree (Ceratonia siliqa) Cattle Bush Desert Cotton (Aerva javanica) Desert Oak Eremophila Wildberry Feijoa sellowiana Flannel Cudweed Fork-leaf Corkwood Ghost Gum Golden Everlasting Kurrajong Lemon-flowered Gum MacDonnell’s Desert Fuchsia Native Bluebell Native Tomato Needlewood Olive Tree Perennial Yellow Top Rat’s Tail River Red Gum Inland River Red Gum Rosy Dock Round-leaved Mallee Scurvy Grass Silky Eremophila Stemodia viscosa Striped Mintbush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Weeping Bottlebrush White Cedar Yellow Billybutton Yellow-keeled Swainsona Yellow Oleander