Lake Argyle Birds

More than 270 species of birds have been recorded in the Lake Argyle area including many rare or unusual species that can be relatively easy to find here. 

Some of the more sought after species include: 

Gouldian Finch – can be seen regularly in and around the Caravan Park

Yellow Chat – inhabits the floodplains on the southern and eastern sides of the lake – birdwatching charters can be arranged on request. 

Purple Crowned Fairy Wren – found in the riverine forests at the southern end of the lake. 

Mongolian Plover (September to January) – a regular migrant 

Long Toed Stint (September to January) – a regular migrant 

Sandstone Shrike Thrush – easily seen on the sandstone cliffs on the islands 

White Quilled Rock Pigeon – often seen around the caravan park and easily seen on the bushwalks. 

Please contact us for further details if you wish to spot any particular species. Our local birding expert will let you know how, when and where you are most likely to find your bird! 

‘Lake Argyle Birds’ 

Common Names Scientific Name 

Avocet, Red-necked Recurvirostra novaehollandiae 

Babbler, Grey-crowned Pomatostomus temporalis 

Baza, Pacific Aviceda subcristata 

Bee-eater, Rainbow Merops ornatus 

Bittern, Black Ixobrychus flavicollis 

Bittern, Little Ixobrychus minutus 

Bittern, Yellow Ixobrychus sinensis 

Black-Cockatoo, Red-Tailed Calyptorhynchus banksii 

Boobook, Southern Ninox novaeseelandiae 

Bowerbird, Great Chlamydera nuchalis 

Brolga Grus rubicunda 

Bronze-Cuckoo, Horsfield’s Chrysococcyx basalis 

Bronze-Cuckoo, Little Chrysococcyx minutillus 

Bronze-Cuckoo, Shining Chrysococcyx lucidus 

Bronzewing, Brush Phaps elegans 

Bronzewing, Common Phaps chalcoptera 

Bronzewing, Flock Phaps histrionica 

Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus 

Bush-hen Amaurornis olivaceus 

Bushlark, Singing Mirafra javanica 

Bustard, Australian Ardeotis australis 

Butcherbird, Pied Cracticus nigrogularis 

Button-quail, Buff-breasted Turnix olivii 

Button-quail, Chestnut-backed Turnix castanota 

Button-quail, Little Turnix velox 

Button-quail, Painted Turnix varia 

Button-quail, Red-backed Turnix maculosa 

Button-quail, Red-chested Turnix pyrrhothorax 

Buzzard, Black-breasted Hamirostra melanosternon 

Chat, Yellow Ephthianura crocea 

Cisticola, Golden-headed Cisticola exilis 

Cisticola, Zitting Cisticola juncidis 

Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus 

Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cacatua galerita 

Coot, Eurasian Fulica atra 

Corella, Little Cacatua sanguinea 

Corella, Long-billed Cacatua tenuirostris 

Cormorant, Great Phalacrocorax carbo 

Cormorant, Little Black Phalacrocorax sulcirostris 

Cormorant, Little Pied Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 

Cormorant, Pied Phalacrocorax varius 

Coucal, Pheasant Centropus phasianinus 

Crake, Australian Spotted Porzana fluminea 

Crake, Baillon’s Porzana pusilla 

Crake, Spotless Porzana tabuensis 

Crake, White-browed Porzana cinerea 

Crane, Sarus Grus antigone 

Crow, Little Corvus bennetti 

Crow, Torresian Corvus orru 

Cuckoo, Brush Cacomantis variolosus 

Cuckoo, Channel-billed Scythrops novaehollandiae 

Cuckoo, Oriental Cuculus saturatus 

Cuckoo, Pallid Cuculus pallidus 

Cuckoo-shrike, Barred Coracina lineata 

Cuckoo-shrike, Black-faced Coracina novaehollandiae 

Cuckoo-shrike, White-bellied Coracina papuensis 

Curlew, Little Numenius minutus 

Darter Anhinga melanogaster 

Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis 

Dotterel, Black-fronted Elseyornis melanops 

Dotterel, Red-kneed Erythrogonys cinctus 

Dove, Bar-shouldered Geopelia humeralis 

Dove, Diamond Geopelia cuneata 

Dove, Emerald Chalcophaps indica 

Dove, Peaceful Geopelia striata 

Dowitcher, Asian Limnodromus semipalmatus 

Drongo, Spangled Dicrurus bracteatus 

Duck, Australian Wood Chenonetta jubata 

Duck, Freckled Stictonetta naevosa 

Duck, Pacific Black Anas superciliosa 

Duck, Pink-eared Malacorhynchus membranaceus 

Eagle, Wedge-tailed Aquila audax 

Egret, Cattle Ardea ibis 

Egret, Great Ardea alba 

Egret, Intermediate Ardea intermedia 

Egret, Little Egretta garzetta 

Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae 

Fairy-wren, Purple-crowned Malurus coronatus 

Fairy-wren, Red-backed Malurus melanocephalus 

Fairy-wren, Variegated Malurus lamberti 

Falcon, Black Falco subniger 

Falcon, Brown Falco berigora 

Falcon, Grey Falco hypoleucos 

Falcon, Peregrine Falco peregrinus 

Fantail, Grey Rhipidura fuliginosa 

Fantail, Mangrove Grey Rhipidura phasiana 

Fantail, Northern Rhipidura rufiventris 

Fantail, Rufous Rhipidura rufifrons 

Finch, Crimson Neochmia phaeton 

Finch, Double-barred Taeniopygia bichenovii 

Finch, Gouldian Erythrura gouldiae 

Finch, Long-tailed Poephila acuticauda 

Finch, Masked Poephila personata 

Finch, Painted Emblema pictum 

Finch, Star Neochmia ruficauda 

Finch, Zebra Taeniopygia guttata 

Firetail, Beautiful Stagonopleura bella 

Firetail, Diamond Stagonopleura guttata 

Firetail, Red-eared Stagonopleura oculata 

Flycatcher, Leaden Myiagra rubecula 

Flycatcher, Lemon-bellied Microeca flavigaster 

Flycatcher, Restless Myiagra inquieta 

Friarbird, Helmeted Philemon buceroides 

Friarbird, Little Philemon citreogularis 

Friarbird, Noisy Philemon corniculatus 

Friarbird, Silver-crowned Philemon argenticeps 

Frogmouth, Tawny Podargus strigoides 

Galah Cacatua roseicapilla 

Garganey Anas querquedula 

Godwit, Bar-tailed Limosa lapponica 

Godwit, Black-tailed Limosa limosa 

Goose, Magpie Anseranas semipalmata 

Goshawk, Brown Accipiter fasciatus 

Goshawk, Grey Accipiter novaehollandiae 

Goshawk, Red Erythrotriorchis radiatus 

Grebe, Australasian Tachybaptus novaehollandiae 

Grebe, Great Crested Podiceps cristatus 

Grebe, Hoary-headed Poliocephalus poliocephalus 

Greenshank, Common Tringa nebularia 

Gull, Silver Larus novaehollandiae 

Hardhead Aythya australis 

Harrier, Spotted Circus assimilis 

Harrier, Swamp Circus approximans 

Heron, Great-billed Ardea sumatrana 

Heron, Nankeen Night Nycticorax caledonicus 

Heron, Pied Ardea picata 

Heron, Striated Butorides striatus 

Heron, White-faced Egretta novaehollandiae 

Heron, White-necked Ardea pacifica 

Hobby, Australian Falco longipennis 

Honeyeater, Banded Certhionyx pectoralis 

Honeyeater, Bar-breasted Ramsayornis fasciatus 

Honeyeater, Black-chinned Melithreptus gularis 

Honeyeater, Blue-faced Entomyzon cyanotis 

Honeyeater, Brown Lichmera indistincta 

Honeyeater, Green-backed Glycichaera fallax 

Honeyeater, Grey-fronted Lichenostomus plumulus 

Honeyeater, Rufous-banded Conopophila albogularis 

Honeyeater, Rufous-throated Conopophila rufogularis 

Honeyeater, White-cheeked Phylidonyris nigra 

Honeyeater, White-fronted Phylidonyris albifrons 

Honeyeater, White-gaped Lichenostomus unicolor 

Honeyeater, Yellow-tinted Lichenostomus flavescens 

Ibis, Australian White Threskiornis molucca 

Ibis, Glossy Plegadis falcinellus 

Ibis, Straw-necked Threskiornis spinicollis 

Jacana, Comb-crested Irediparra gallinacea 

Kestrel, Nankeen Falco cenchroides 

Kingfisher, Azure Alcedo azurea 

Kingfisher, Red-backed Todiramphus pyrrhopygia 

Kingfisher, Sacred Todiramphus sanctus 

Kite, Black Milvus migrans 

Kite, Black-shouldered Elanus axillaris 

Kite, Brahminy Haliastur indus 

Kite, Letter-winged Elanus scriptus 

Kite, Square-tailed Lophoictinia isura 

Kite, Whistling Haliastur sphenurus 

Koel, Common Eudynamys scolopacea 

Kookaburra, Blue-winged Dacelo leachii 

Lapwing, Masked Vanellus miles 

Lorikeet, Little Glossopsitta pusilla 

Lorikeet, Rainbow Trichoglossus haematodus 

Magpie, Australian Gymnorhina tibicen 

Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca 

Mannikin, Chestnut-breasted Lonchura castaneothorax 

Mannikin, Pictorella Heteromunia pectoralis 

Mannikin, Yellow-rumped Lonchura flaviprymna 

Martin, Fairy Hirundo ariel 

Martin, Tree Hirundo nigricans 

Miner, Noisy Manorina melanocephala 

Miner, Yellow-throated Manorina flavigula 

Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum 

Native-hen, Black-tailed Gallinula ventralis 

Nightjar, Spotted Eurostopodus argus 

Oriole, Olive-backed Oriolus sagittatus 

Osprey Pandion haliaetus 

Owl, Barking Ninox connivens 

Owl, Barn Tyto alba 

Owl, Rufous Ninox rufa 

Owlet-nightjar, Australian Aegotheles cristatus 

Pardalote, Red-browed Pardalotus rubricatus 

Pardalote, Striated Pardalotus striatus 

Parrot, Red-winged Aprosmictus erythropterus 

Pelican, Australian Pelecanus conspicillatus 

Pigeon, Crested Ocyphaps lophotes 

Pigeon, Spinifex Geophaps plumifera 

Pigeon, Squatter Geophaps scripta 

Pipit, Richard’s Anthus novaeseelandiae 

Plover, Hooded Thinornis rubricollis 

Plover, Oriental Charadrius veredus 

Plover, Pacific Golden Pluvialis fulva 

Plover, Red-capped Charadrius ruficapillus 

Pratincole, Australian Stiltia isabella 

Pratincole, Oriental Glareola maldivarum 

Pygmy-goose, Green Nettapus pulchellus 

Teal, Grey Anas gracilis 

Tern, Caspian Sterna caspia 

Tern, Whiskered Chlidonias hybridus 

Tern, White-winged Black Chlidonias leucopterus 

Treecreeper, Black-tailed Climacteris melanura 

Triller, Varied Lalage leucomela 

Triller, White-winged Lalage sueurii 

Turnstone, Ruddy Arenaria interpres 

Wagtail, Citrine Motacilla citreola 

Wagtail, Willie Rhipidura leucophrys 

Wagtail, Yellow Motacilla flava 

Weebill Smicrornis brevirostris 

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus 

Whistler, Rufous Pachycephala rufiventris 

Whistling-Duck, Plumed Dendrocygna eytoni 

Whistling-Duck, Wandering Dendrocygna arcuata 

Woodswallow, Black-faced Artamus cinereus 

Woodswallow, Little Artamus minor 

Woodswallow, White-breasted Artamus leucorynchus