Birds to See in South Australia in October
59 bird species on our list for South Australia are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are Australian Magpie, Galah, Red Wattlebird, Willie Wagtail and Common Starling. New this month: Pacific Golden-Plover, Little Tern, Whimbrel and Common Tern and 1 more.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
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 59 birds in October
59 birds
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year · 3.16% in Oct
GalahEolophus roseicapillaResidentCommon35–38 cmRecorded all year · 2.55% in Oct
Red WattlebirdAnthochaera carunculataResidentCommon33–37 cmRecorded all year · 2.31% in Oct
Willie WagtailRhipidura leucophrysResidentCommon19–22 cmRecorded all year · 1.77% in Oct
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.71% in Oct
New Holland HoneyeaterPhylidonyris novaehollandiaeResidentCommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 1.68% in Oct
Rainbow LorikeetTrichoglossus moluccanusResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 1.43% in Oct
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 1.27% in Oct
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.18% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 0.92% in Oct
Australian RavenCorvus coronoidesResidentCommon46–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in Oct
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.82% in Oct
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentCommon110–142 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in Oct
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentCommon41–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in Oct
Whistling KiteHaliastur sphenurusResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in Oct
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Oct
Mulga ParrotPsephotellus variusResidentUncommon27–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Oct
EmuDromaius novaehollandiaeResidentUncommon150–190 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Oct
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentUncommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Oct
BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatusResidentUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Oct
Little WattlebirdAnthochaera chrysopteraResidentUncommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Oct
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataSummer visitorUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.25% in Oct
Red-browed FinchNeochmia temporalisResidentUncommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Oct
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.22% in Oct
Purple-crowned LorikeetGlossopsitta porphyrocephalaResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Oct
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Oct
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Oct
RedthroatPyrrholaemus brunneusResidentUncommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Oct
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.11% in Oct
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentUncommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Oct
Australian HobbyFalco longipennisResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Oct
ApostlebirdStruthidea cinereaResidentUncommon29–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Oct
CockatielNymphicus hollandicusResidentUncommon30–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Oct
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Oct
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorUncommon18–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Oct
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.06% in Oct
Eastern Yellow RobinEopsaltria australisResidentUncommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
BrolgaAntigone rubicundaResidentUncommon100–140 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Oct
GreenfinchChloris chlorisSummer visitorUncommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Oct
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.03% in Oct
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusSummer visitorRare48–66 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.03% in Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Oct
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Oct
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.02% in Oct
Australian BustardArdeotis australisWinter visitorRare100–140 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.01% in Oct
Little PenguinEudyptula minorSummer visitorRare30–40 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.01% in Oct
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Oct
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoSummer visitorRare100–125 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentRare40–44 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.01% in Oct
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.01% in Oct
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.00% in Oct
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentRare40–46 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.00% in Oct
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorRare31–35 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.00% in Oct
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentRare210–275 cmRegularly Sep–Oct · 0.00% in Oct
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