Rare Birds in South Australia
Our list for South Australia has 24 rare birds recorded regularly there: 10 residents, 7 summer visitors, 1 winter visitor, 5 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in South Australia in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 24, most common first
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaPassage migrantRare40–51 cmRegularly Feb–Dec
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusPassage migrantRare41–46 cmRegularly Dec–May
White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisPassage migrantRare50–58 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusSummer visitorRare48–66 cmRegularly Jul–Feb
Australian BustardArdeotis australisWinter visitorRare100–140 cmRegularly May–Mar
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Oct–May
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentRare40–44 cmRegularly Sep–Jun
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaResidentRare33–42 cmRegularly Jan–Feb
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosSummer visitorRare19–23 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusPassage migrantRare46–51 cmRegularly Mar
Southern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea epomophoraResidentRare115–123 cmRegularly Nov–May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentRare40–46 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusPassage migrantRare20–27 cmRegularly Dec–Jan
Little PenguinEudyptula minorSummer visitorRare30–40 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorRare31–35 cmRegularly Oct–Feb
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoSummer visitorRare100–125 cmRegularly Sep–May
Wandering AlbatrossDiomedea exulansResidentRare107–135 cmRegularly Nov
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentRare38–42 cmRegularly May–Aug
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentRare210–275 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusScarceRare50–90 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Little Tern 21–25 cm
- White-winged Tern 20–27 cm
- Common Tern 31–35 cm
- Little Penguin 30–40 cm
- Gull-billed Tern 33–42 cm
- Rose-ringed Parakeet 38–42 cm
- Black-tailed Godwit 40–44 cm
- Whimbrel 40–46 cm
- Arctic Jaeger 41–46 cm
- Sooty Shearwater 40–51 cm
- Pomarine Jaeger 46–51 cm
- White-chinned Petrel 50–58 cm
- Glossy Ibis 48–66 cm
- Helmeted Guineafowl 53–63 cm
- Common Pheasant 50–90 cm
- Muscovy Duck 66–84 cm
- Wild Turkey 100–125 cm
- Southern Royal Albatross 115–123 cm
- Australian Bustard 100–140 cm
- Wandering Albatross 107–135 cm
- Indian Peafowl 86–230 cm
- Common Ostrich 210–275 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
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