Birds to See in Victoria in December
68 bird species on our list for Victoria are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Australian Magpie, Red Wattlebird, Blackbird, Rainbow Lorikeet and Common Starling. New this month: Wandering Albatross.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecAt their peak
Great Crested GrebeBusiest month of the year · All year
Bar-tailed GodwitBusiest month of the year · All year
Red KnotBusiest month of the year · All year
Ruddy TurnstoneBusiest month of the year · All year
Pacific Golden-PloverBusiest month of the year · Sep–Mar
Pectoral SandpiperBusiest month of the year · Sep–Apr
From Victoria’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 68 birds in December
68 birds
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year · 3.32% in Dec
Red WattlebirdAnthochaera carunculataResidentCommon33–37 cmRecorded all year · 2.50% in Dec
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 1.75% in Dec
Rainbow LorikeetTrichoglossus moluccanusResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 1.73% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.55% in Dec
GalahEolophus roseicapillaResidentCommon35–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.49% in Dec
Willie WagtailRhipidura leucophrysResidentCommon19–22 cmRecorded all year · 1.36% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.17% in Dec
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentCommon41–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.16% in Dec
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.05% in Dec
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentCommon110–142 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Dec
New Holland HoneyeaterPhylidonyris novaehollandiaeResidentCommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.92% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in Dec
Eastern Yellow RobinEopsaltria australisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in Dec
Australian RavenCorvus coronoidesResidentCommon46–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in Dec
Little WattlebirdAnthochaera chrysopteraResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in Dec
Red-browed FinchNeochmia temporalisResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Dec
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Dec
Whistling KiteHaliastur sphenurusResidentUncommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Dec
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentUncommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Dec
Australian King-parrotAlisterus scapularisResidentUncommon40–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Dec
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataSummer visitorUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.28% in Dec- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusSummer visitorUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorUncommon18–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Dec
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentUncommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
Purple-crowned LorikeetGlossopsitta porphyrocephalaResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
BrolgaAntigone rubicundaResidentUncommon100–140 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.11% in Dec- Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Dec
Australian HobbyFalco longipennisResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Dec
Rose RobinPetroica roseaResidentUncommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
EmuDromaius novaehollandiaeResidentUncommon150–190 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentUncommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Dec
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.04% in Dec- Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorRare23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorUncommon21–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
- Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaSummer visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.03% in Dec
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosSummer visitorRare19–23 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentRare13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorRare31–35 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.03% in Dec
CockatielNymphicus hollandicusSummer visitorRare30–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
Mulga ParrotPsephotellus variusResidentRare27–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.02% in Dec
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorRare40–44 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusSummer visitorUncommon48–66 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
Little PenguinEudyptula minorResidentRare30–40 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.02% in Dec
BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatusSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.02% in Dec
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusSummer visitorRare41–46 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.02% in Dec
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentRare20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorRare19–21 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in Dec
ApostlebirdStruthidea cinereaResidentRare29–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisSummer visitorRare50–58 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorRare27–30 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.01% in Dec
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaSummer visitorRare40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.00% in Dec
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaResidentRare33–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Dec
Wandering AlbatrossDiomedea exulansResidentRare107–135 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.00% in Dec
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentRare53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Dec
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorRare54–58 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.00% in Dec
RedthroatPyrrholaemus brunneusResidentRare12–14 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 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