This is a list of the wild birds found in Western Australia. The list includes introduced species, common vagrants, recently extinct species, extirpated species, some very rare vagrants (seen once) and species only present in captivity. 629 species are listed.
The taxonomy is based on Christidis and Boles, 2008. Their system has been developed over nearly two decades and has strong local support, but deviates in important ways from more generally accepted schemes.
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition. All of the birds below are included in the total bird count for Western Australia.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.
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Order: StruthioniformesFamily: Struthionidae
This order is not native to Western Australia, but feral populations of one species have become established.
Order: CasuariiformesFamily: Dromaiidae
This family of flightless ratite birds is represented by two living species in Australia. Another two species are found in New Guinea. The extinct, geographically isolated King and Kangaroo Island emus were historically considered to be separate species to mainland emus. However, genetic evidence from 2011 suggests that all three are conspecific.
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anseranatidae
The family contains a single species, the magpie goose. It was an early and distinctive offshoot of the anseriform family tree, diverging after the screamers and before all other ducks, geese and swans, sometime in the late Cretaceous. The single species is found across Australia.
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
The family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These are adapted for an aquatic existence, with webbed feet, bills that are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Megapodiidae
Megapodiidae are represented by various species in the Australasian region. They are commonly referred to as "mound-builders" due to their habit of constructing large mounds to incubate their eggs.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Numididae
Numididae are not native to Australia, but feral populations of one species exist in Western Australia.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump, with broad, relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans.
Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Order: OtidiformesFamily: Otididae
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Podargidae
The frogmouths are a distinctive group of small nocturnal birds related to swifts found from India across southern Asia to Australia.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Aegothelidae
The owlet-nightjars are a distinctive group of small nocturnal birds related to swifts found from the Maluku Islands and New Guinea to Australia and New Caledonia.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Rostratulidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Jacanidae
2 species recorded [1 extant native, 1 vagrant]
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Turnicidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their long wings have black markings, as does the head.
Order: SphenisciformesFamily: Spheniscidae
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Only one species, the little penguin, breeds on the Australian coast.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are a family of large seabird found across the Southern and North Pacific Oceans. The largest are among the largest flying birds in the world.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae
The southern storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. Their flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium nasal septum, and a long outer functional primary flight feather.
Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae
Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Anhingidae
Anhingas or darters are cormorant-like water birds with long necks and long, straight bills. They are fish eaters which often swim with only their neck above the water.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of coloured skin on the face. The bill is long, thin and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed, a distinguishing feature among the order Pelecaniformes.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are large water birds with distinctive pouches under their bills. Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Upupidae
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Cacatuidae
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittaculidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pittidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Atrichornithidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Ptilonorhynchidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Climacteridae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Maluridae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Meliphagidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Dasyornithidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pardalotidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acanthizidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pomatostomidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cinclosomatidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Campephagidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Neosittidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Psophodidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oreoicidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Falcunculidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pachycephalidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oriolidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Artamidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Rhipiduridae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Dicruridae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Monarchidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Petroicidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alaudidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cisticolidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Locustellidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pycnonotidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Phylloscopidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Scotocercidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Zosteropidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Dicaeidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Estrildidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae