Birds (class Aves) are a popular group of animals, with many avid bird watchers here in Australia, as well as around the world. Check out some of our information and images provided here for you to enjoy.
- Apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea)
- Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae)
- Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti)
- Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator)
- Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)
- Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae)
- Australasian Wrens
- Dusky grasswren (Amytornis purnelli)
- Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis)
- Red-backed Fairywren (Malurus melanocephalus)
- Southern Emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus)
- Splendid Fairy-wren (Malurus splendens)
- Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus)
- Variegated Fairywren (Malurus lamberti)
- White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopteru)
- Babblers
- Bassian Thrush (Zoothera lunulata)
- Black-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens)
- Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)
- Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
- Brolga (Antigone rubicunda)
- Brown Songlark (Cincloramphus cruralis)
- Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae)
- Cinnamon Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma cinnamomeum)
- Finches
- Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella)
- Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax)
- Double-barred Finch (Stizoptera bichenovii)
- European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
- European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris)
- Gouldian Finch (Chloebia gouldiae)
- Painted Finch (Emblema pictum)
- Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata)
- Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
- Honeyeaters
- Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)
- Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta)
- Brown-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris)
- Crescent Honeyeater (Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus)
- Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)
- Grey-fronted Honeyeater (Ptilotula plumula)
- Grey-headed Honeyeater (Ptilotula keartlandi)
- New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)
- Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala)
- Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata)
- Scarlet Honeyeater (Myzomela sanguinolenta)
- Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)
- White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata)
- Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula)
- Kingfishers
- Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus)
- Little Grassbird (Poodytes gramineus)
- Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta)
- Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca)
- Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus)
- Noisy Pitta (Pitta versicolor)
- Olive Whistler (Pachycephala olivacea)
- Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva)
- Paradise Riflebird (Lophorina paradisea)
- Parrots
- Australian Ringnecks
- Bluebonnet (Northiella haematogaster)
- Bourke’s Parrot (Neopsephotus bourkii)
- Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)
- Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)
- Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla)
- Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri)
- Mallee Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius barnardi)
- Mulga Parrot (Psephotellus varius)
- Port Lincoln Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius)
- Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Parvipsitta porphyrocephala)
- Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus)
- Red-collared Lorikeet (Trichoglossus rubritorquis)
- Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii)
- Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)
- Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo (Zanda funerea)
- Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus)
- Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)
- Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)
- Raptors
- Australian Boobook (Ninox boobook)
- Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis)
- Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
- Black-breasted Buzzard (Hamirostra melanosternon)
- Black Falcon (Falco subniger)
- Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
- Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)
- Brown Falcon (Falco berigora)
- Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus)
- Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis)
- Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)
- Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)
- Red-browed Pardalote (Pardalotus rubricatus)
- Redthroat (Pyrrholaemus brunneus)
- Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons)
- Rufous Bristlebird (Dasyornis broadbenti)
- Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus)
- Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus)
- Torresian Crow (Corvus orru)
- Waders
- Banded Lapwing (Vanellus tricolor)
- Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
- Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops)
- Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus)
- Hooded Plover (Thinornis cucullatus)
- Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus)
- Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta)
- Oriental Plover (Charadrius veredus)
- White-browed Woodswallow (Artamus superciliosus)
- White Capped Noddy (Anous minutus)
- White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)
- White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica)
- Willy Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)
- Yellow-throated scrubwren (Neosericornis citreogularis)
Class Aves – birds encompass a group of animals comprising about 9,000 species that are bipedal, feathered and warm blooded. They have fore-limbs that are modified into wings, although not all birds can fly. Of the flightless birds, there are over 60 extant species that include the ostrich, emu, cassowary and penguin.
The upper and lower jaws of birds are modified into a beak, which lacks teeth.
The class Aves is divided into two subclasses:
- Archaeornithes
these are an extinct group that have toothed beak, long lizard-like tail. - Neornithes
these include both current modern birds and extinct birds such as the dodo that became extinct in the 17th century.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Clade: Sauropsida
- Clade: Avemetatarsalia
- Clade: Ornithurae
- Class: Aves
Footnote & References
- Ayeye thipe-akerte – this free app created by Therese Ryder, provides a number of recordings of the correct pronunciation of bird species in the Central Australia region. The app also includes pronunciation of some plants/landscape. Therese Ryder has also released a published Arrernte language bird book.
- Ayeye thipe-akerte: Arrernte stories about birds; Author Ryder, Therese C., author, illustrator; recorded and edited by Margaret Carew; Published Batchelor, NT Batchelor Press, 2017; ISBN, 1741313317, 9781741313314.
- Sally Edmonds is an artist based in the Perth Hills. Her passion for birds and paintings are evident in her detailed works of realism, with each work portraying their own character, https://www.sallyedmonds.com/
- Big City Birds, Spotteron Citizen Science – a project that focuses on selected bird species and their behavioural adaptatations – https://www.spotteron.com/bigcitybirds/info
BirdsApostlebird Australasian Darter Australasian Figbird Australasian Gannet Australasian Grebe Australasian Pipit Australasian Robins Australasian Wrens Australian Bustard Australian Chats Australian Pelican Bassian Thrush Black-faced Cormorant Black-faced Cuckooshrike Black-faced Woodswallow Black Swan Bowerbirds Brolga Brown Songlark Channel-billed Cuckoo Cinnamon Quail-thrush Dotterels Lapwings Plovers Doves & Pigeons Emu Fairy Martin Finches Grey-crowned Babbler Grey Fantail Grey Teal Honeyeaters Kingfishers Little Friarbird Little Grassbird Magpie-lark Masked Woodswallow Noisy Pitta Olive Whistler Paradise Riflebird Parrots Pheasant Coucal Pied Butcherbird Rainbow Bee-eater Raptors Red-browed Pardalote Redthroat Rufous Bristlebird Rufous Fantail Silver-crowned Friarbird Spotted Pardalote Striated Pardalote Torresian Crow Waders White-browed Babbler White-browed Woodswallow White Capped Noddy White-faced Heron White-necked Heron Willie Wagtail Yellow-throated Scrubwren