Rare Birds in Australia
Our list for Australia has 57 rare birds recorded regularly there: 24 residents, 21 summer visitors, 2 winter visitors, 7 passage migrants and 3 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Australia in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 57, most common first
Australian BustardArdeotis australisResidentRare100–140 cmRecorded all year
Long-tailed FinchPoephila acuticaudaResidentRare15–17 cmRecorded all year
Red KnotCalidris canutusResidentRare23–26 cmRecorded all year
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentRare40–44 cmRecorded all year
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRegularly Sep–May
Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulataResidentRare11–12 cmRecorded all year
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorRare27–30 cmRecorded all year
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorRare19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRecorded all year
Western WattlebirdAnthochaera lunulataResidentRare33–38 cmRecorded all year
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusSummer visitorRare41–46 cmRegularly Oct–Jun
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaResidentRare40–51 cmRecorded all year
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosSummer visitorRare19–23 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Regent HoneyeaterAnthochaera phrygiaPassage migrantRare20–24 cmRegularly Jan–Jul
Southern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea epomophoraResidentRare115–123 cmRecorded all year
Sarus CraneGrus antigoneResidentRare152–156 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
Little PenguinEudyptula minorResidentRare30–40 cmRecorded all year
Gouldian FinchChloebia gouldiaeWinter visitorRare13–14 cmRecorded all year
RedthroatPyrrholaemus brunneusResidentRare12–14 cmRecorded all year
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaResidentRare33–42 cmRecorded all year
King PenguinAptenodytes patagonicusSummer visitorRare70–100 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusSummer visitorRare46–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
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