Birds to See in South Australia in December
60 bird species on our list for South Australia are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Australian Magpie, Galah, Red Wattlebird, Willie Wagtail and New Holland Honeyeater. New this month: Arctic Jaeger and White-winged Tern.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecAt their peak
From South Australia’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 60 birds in December
60 birds
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year · 3.14% in Dec
GalahEolophus roseicapillaResidentCommon35–38 cmRecorded all year · 2.41% in Dec
Red WattlebirdAnthochaera carunculataResidentCommon33–37 cmRecorded all year · 2.24% in Dec
Willie WagtailRhipidura leucophrysResidentCommon19–22 cmRecorded all year · 1.85% in Dec
New Holland HoneyeaterPhylidonyris novaehollandiaeResidentCommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 1.85% in Dec
Rainbow LorikeetTrichoglossus moluccanusResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 1.72% in Dec
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 1.45% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.44% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.35% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 1.01% in Dec
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.97% in Dec
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentCommon110–142 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in Dec
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentCommon41–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Dec
Australian RavenCorvus coronoidesResidentCommon46–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Dec
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentUncommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Dec
Little WattlebirdAnthochaera chrysopteraResidentUncommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Dec
Red-browed FinchNeochmia temporalisResidentUncommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Dec
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataSummer visitorUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.31% in Dec
Whistling KiteHaliastur sphenurusResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Dec
Purple-crowned LorikeetGlossopsitta porphyrocephalaResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Dec
EmuDromaius novaehollandiaeResidentUncommon150–190 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Dec
Mulga ParrotPsephotellus variusResidentUncommon27–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.19% in Dec
BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatusResidentUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Dec
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.16% in Dec
RedthroatPyrrholaemus brunneusResidentUncommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorUncommon18–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
Australian HobbyFalco longipennisResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentUncommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.07% in Dec
CockatielNymphicus hollandicusResidentUncommon30–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Dec
ApostlebirdStruthidea cinereaResidentUncommon29–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Dec
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.06% in Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
GreenfinchChloris chlorisSummer visitorUncommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.05% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.04% in Dec
Eastern Yellow RobinEopsaltria australisResidentUncommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
BrolgaAntigone rubicundaResidentUncommon100–140 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusSummer visitorRare48–66 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.02% in Dec
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.02% in Dec
Little PenguinEudyptula minorSummer visitorRare30–40 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.01% in Dec
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorRare31–35 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.01% in Dec
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentRare40–46 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaPassage migrantRare40–51 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusPassage migrantRare41–46 cmRegularly Dec–May · 0.01% in Dec
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoSummer visitorRare100–125 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in Dec
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosSummer visitorRare19–23 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.00% in Dec
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusPassage migrantRare20–27 cmRegularly Dec–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