Birds to See in New South Wales in December
74 bird species on our list for New South Wales are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Australian Magpie, Rainbow Lorikeet, Willie Wagtail, Laughing Kookaburra and Australian Raven. New this month: Purple-crowned Lorikeet and Eurasian Tree Sparrow.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
Sharp-tailed SandpiperBusiest month of the year · Aug–Apr
Curlew SandpiperBusiest month of the year · Aug–Apr
Red KnotBusiest month of the year · Sep–Apr
SanderlingBusiest month of the year · Sep–Apr
Black-tailed GodwitBusiest month of the year · Sep–Mar
Pectoral SandpiperBusiest month of the year · Oct–Apr
Leaving soon
From New South Wales’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 74 birds in December
74 birds
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year · 2.83% in Dec
Rainbow LorikeetTrichoglossus moluccanusResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 2.01% in Dec
Willie WagtailRhipidura leucophrysResidentCommon19–22 cmRecorded all year · 1.83% in Dec
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentCommon41–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.81% in Dec
Australian RavenCorvus coronoidesResidentCommon46–53 cmRecorded all year · 1.73% in Dec
GalahEolophus roseicapillaResidentCommon35–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.38% in Dec
Red WattlebirdAnthochaera carunculataResidentCommon33–37 cmRecorded all year · 0.92% in Dec
Eastern Yellow RobinEopsaltria australisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in Dec
Little WattlebirdAnthochaera chrysopteraResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Dec
Red-browed FinchNeochmia temporalisResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Dec
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in Dec
Australian King-parrotAlisterus scapularisResidentCommon40–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.66% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in Dec
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentCommon110–142 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Dec
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in Dec
New Holland HoneyeaterPhylidonyris novaehollandiaeResidentCommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Dec
Whistling KiteHaliastur sphenurusResidentUncommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Dec
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorUncommon21–25 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.19% in Dec
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Dec- Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataSummer visitorUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.15% in Dec
White-cheeked HoneyeaterPhylidonyris nigerResidentUncommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
ApostlebirdStruthidea cinereaResidentUncommon29–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Dec
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentUncommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Dec
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorUncommon31–35 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.09% in Dec- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.07% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Dec
Australian HobbyFalco longipennisResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Dec
EmuDromaius novaehollandiaeResidentUncommon150–190 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentUncommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec- Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.06% in Dec
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
CockatielNymphicus hollandicusResidentUncommon30–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Dec- SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.04% in Dec
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentRare48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatusResidentUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorRare40–44 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.03% in Dec
Rose RobinPetroica roseaWinter visitorUncommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentRare16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosSummer visitorRare19–23 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusSummer visitorRare46–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorRare30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
Mulga ParrotPsephotellus variusResidentUncommon27–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorRare19–21 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusSummer visitorRare41–46 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.01% in Dec
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
BrolgaAntigone rubicundaResidentRare100–140 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaSummer visitorRare40–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.01% in Dec
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorRare27–30 cmRegularly Sep–Feb · 0.01% in Dec
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentRare53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Red JunglefowlGallus gallusResidentRare42–75 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudusSummer visitorRare48–58 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulataResidentRare11–12 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.00% in Dec
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaSummer visitorRare33–42 cmRegularly Nov–Jan · 0.00% in Dec
RedthroatPyrrholaemus brunneusResidentRare12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Dec
Little PenguinEudyptula minorResidentRare30–40 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Dec
Common OstrichStruthio camelusSummer visitorRare210–275 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.00% in Dec
GreenfinchChloris chlorisSummer visitorRare15–16 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.00% in Dec
Purple-crowned LorikeetGlossopsitta porphyrocephalaResidentRare15–17 cmRegularly Jun–Dec · 0.00% in Dec
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentRare38–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Dec
White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisPassage migrantRare50–58 cmRegularly Sep–Dec · 0.00% in Dec
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentRare13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jan · 0.00% in Dec
Australian BustardArdeotis australisWinter visitorRare100–140 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.00% in Dec
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made