Birding in Australia & New ...
The driest inhabited continent of Australia offers an abundance of incredible landscapes and wildlife to keep photographers, birdwatchers, wildlife lovers and outdoor enthusiasts entertained on our guided Australia tours.
Imagine the Great Barrier Reef and the Giant clams, or the tropical rainforest and the large, flightless Cassowary. Picture the Sydney Opera House in its iconic shape, or the brilliant blue colouration of a fairy-wren. Hear the thumping of a kangaroo hopping at full speed, or the sounds of the incredibly diverse birdlife at dawn chorus.
From the tropics of Cairns in the north to the temperate climate of Tasmania in the south there is a diverse range of birdlife to be experienced. Over 800 species of birds call Australia home and nearly 50% are endemic species. Have you ever wondered what a Golden Bowerbird might look like? How about a Turquoise Parrot? Maybe even an Azure Kingfisher? Tropical rainforest, open woodland and mangrove are the habitat preferences of the aforementioned species and are just a small segment of habitats on offer in this vast country. Birding in Australia is not to be missed.
The colourful mosaic of parrots, cockatoos and lorikeets is something not to be missed and these birds will highlight many excursions. Join a Tropical Australia birding tour, Eastern Australia birding tour or our guided birdwatching tour in Tasmania.
On the “other side of the ditch” (in New Zealand across the Tasman Sea), the Kiwi is highly sought after – not the fruit, nor the person, but the bird itself. New Zealand is known for its seabirds, but many species of forest birds are endemic and the Kiwi is perhaps the most unique of all.
Equipped with the smallest beak in the world due to the location of the nostrils near the end of the beak (and the beak length being measured from nostrils to the end of the beak), the Kiwi utilizes their beak to probe the dirt in search of food, which is much more effective than relying on their eyesight because it has been recorded as the smallest visual field in any bird species worldwide.
New Zealand is home to over 200 species of birds, a number of which belong to families not seen anywhere else in the world, including the Stitchbird, Kōkako and Yellowhead. Numerous species of albatross utilize the waters around New Zealand and an extraordinary pelagic tour off the coast of Kaikōura in the south island produces unrivalled views of these magnificent species (and others). The birdlife of New Zealand is certainly on par with its fantastic scenery.
Baring a bit of good fortune, a post-sunset walk is required to have a chance at spotting any of the Kiwi species across New Zealand (hearing the forest dwelling Morepork owl is almost a certainty on these walks). Kiwis are one of several bird species that have separate species occurring on both the North and South Island (including Stewart Island). A few others include the saddleback and robin, plus separate subspecies of tomtit and kaka.
The North Island contains one of the three locations where the Australasian gannets nest on the NZ mainland (Muriwai Beach, which is approximately 1 hour from Auckland). The South Island contains the only mainland breeding colony in the world of the Northern royal albatross (Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin). On a windy day it’s a treat watching the albatross fly around the headland putting on an aerial show.
Learn more and view pictures from our New Zealand birdwatching tour.
