| Common names | Scientific names |
Australian bird names
For all practical purposes the NEW, modern names for birds, as listed below, should be used.
Alternative (often old) names are given for many bird species on their respective pages. They are provided for the benefit of those who have grown up with the old names. Use the search engine to find the bird under its modern name. Most of the old names are from the book "What bird is that?" by Nevil Cayley (1955 edition). Note that many old names are not unique (marked with "*"), some are misnomers and in some cases new scientific research has led to entirely new names for birds (including their scientific classifications). To name an example, there are at least three bird species that used to be called "Banana-bird" in the past.
Aboriginal bird names
Aboriginal bird names are listed on the individual pages describing various bird species. So far, we have identified the following aboriginal bird names that are still OFFICIALLY in use as common names: boobook, brolga, budgerigar, galah, jabiru, kookaburra. Various spellings of these names exist, partly based on different pronunciations in various aboriginal languages or dialects, partly due to difficulties in translating them, in a phonetically correct way, into modern English. Many more aboriginal names are listed for individual bird species, mostly in the languages of current-day north-western New South Wales [gamilaraay and yuwaalaraay].
There are many aboriginal names for entire families of birds, such as e.g. "ducks": chippia, kultown, murrara, tharalkoo. Since these are not specific to one particular bird species, they are not used here. Only names for individual species are listed, such as, e.g., "deereeree" for Willie Wagtail.
Index of Australian birds observed by us
NOTE: Only birds endemic to Australia seen by us are listed here. No introduced species are listed or shown. For a COMPLETE list of all Australian bird species please click HERE.
Australian bird species are listed by both their common names (e.g., "Apostlebird") and their scientific names (e.g., "Struthidea cinerea"). To search for a bird with a composite name, such as "Grey-crowned Babbler", go to "Common names", then the letter "B" for "Babbler, Grey-crowned". Alternatively, use the search engine in the header above.
| Common names | Scientific names |
| Common names |
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(Letters are clickable) |
Babbler
Chestnut-crowned
Grey-crowned
White-browed
Baza, Pacific
Bee-eater, Rainbow
Bonnet, Blue
Boobook, Southern
Bowerbird
Regent
Satin
Spotted
Brolga
Bronzewing, Common
Brush-turkey, Australian
Budgerigar
Bustard, Australian
Butcherbird
Grey
Pied
Button-quail
Painted
Buzzard, Black-breasted
Cassowary, Southern
Catbird
Green
Chat, Crimson
Chough, White-winged
Cisticola
Golden-headed
Cockatiel
Cockatoo
Galah
Glossy Black-
Red-tailed Black-
Sulphur-crested
Yellow-tailed Black-
Coot, Eurasian
Corella
Little
Cormorant
Great
Little Black
Little Pied
Pied
Crow
Little
Cuckoo
Black-eared
Brush
Channel-billed
Fan-tailed
Horsefield's Bronze-
Little Bronze-
Pallid
Cuckoo-shrike
Black-faced
Ground
White-bellied
Curlew, Eastern
Currawong
Pied
Darter
Dollarbird
Dotterel
Black-fronted
Red-kneed
Dove
Bar-shouldered
Brown Cuckoo
Diamond
Emerald
Peaceful
Superb Fruit-
Wompoo Fruit-
Duck
Australian Wood
Blue-billed
Cape Barren
Magpie
Musk
Pink-eared
Plumed Whistling-
Radjah Shel-
Drongo, Spangled
E
Eagle
Little
Wedge-tailed
White-bellied Sea-
Egret
Cattle
Great
Intermediate
Little
Emu
Fairy-wren
Red-backed
Superb
Variegated
White-winged
Falcon
Black
Brown
Grey
Peregrine
Fantail
Grey
Rufous
Figbird
Finch
Diamond Firetail
Double-barred
Plum-headed
Red-browed
Zebra
Firetail
Diamond
Flycatcher
Leaden
Restless
Satin
Friarbird
Little
Noisy
Frogmouth
Tawny
Galah
Gannet
Australasian
Gerygone
Western
White-throated
Goose
Cape Barren
Cotton Pygmy-
Goshawk
Brown
Grebe
Australasian
Great Crested
Hoary-headed
Greenshank, Common
Gull
Silver
Hardhead
Harrier
Spotted
Swamp
Heath-wren
Chestnut-rumped
Heron
Rufous
(Nankeen) Night
White-faced
White-necked
Hobby, Australian
Honeyeater
Black-chinned
Blue-faced
Brown-headed
Brown
Dusky
Fuscous
Grey-fronted
Lewin's
New Holland
Painted
Scarlet
Singing
Spiny-cheeked
Striped
Varied
White-cheeked
White-eared
White-naped
White-plumed
Yellow-faced
Yellow-tufted
Ibis
Australian White
Glossy
Straw-necked
Jacana, Comb-crested
Jacky Winter
Kestrel, Nankeen
Kingfisher
Azure
Forest
Sacred
Kite
Black
Black-shouldered
Brahminy
Letter-winged
Square-tailed
Whistling
Koel, Common
Kookaburra
BLue-winged
Laughing
Lapwing
Banded
Masked
Logrunner
Lorikeet
Little
Musk
Purple-crowned
Rainbow
Scaly-breasted
Lyrebird, Superb
Magpie, Australian
Magpie-lark
Mannikin
Chestnut-breasted
Martin
Fairy
Miner
Bell-
Noisy
Yellow-throated
Mistletoebird
Monarch
Spectacled
Moorhen, Dusky
Native-hen
Black-tailed
Needletail, White-throated
Oriole
Olive-backed
Osprey
Owl
Barking
Barn
Oystercatcher
Pied
Sooty
Owlet-nightjar, Australian
Pardalote
Spotted
Striated
Parrot
Australian King-
Australian Ringneck
Blue Bonnet
Bourke's
Eclectus
Elegant
Major Mitchell's
Mallee Ringneck
Mulga
Port Lincoln
Red-rumped
Red-winged
Scarlet-chested
Superb
Turquoise
Pelican, Australian
Pigeon
Crested
Topknot
White-headed
Pipit
Australian (Richard's)
Plover
Spur-winged
Quail
Brown
Quail-thrush
Spotted
Rail
Buff-banded
Raven
Australian
Little
Reed-Warbler
Clamorous
Ringneck
Australian
Mallee
Robin
Eastern Yellow
Hooded
Jacky Winter
Red-capped
Rose
Scarlet
Rosella
Crimson
Eastern
Pale-headed
Western
Sandpiper
Common
Green
Sharp-tailed
Scrubwren
White-browed
Yellow-throated
Shoveler
Australasian
Shrike-thrush
Grey
Shrike-tit, Crested
Silvereye
Songlark
Brown
Rufous
Sparrowhawk
Collared
Spinebill
Eastern
Spoonbill
Royal
Yellow-billed
Stilt
Black-winged
Stone-curlew
Bush
Stork, Black-necked
Sunbird, Yellow-bellied
Swallow
Welcome
White-backed
Swamphen, Purple
Swan
Black
Swift
Fork-tailed
White-throated Needletail
Teal
Chestnut
Grey
Tern
Common
Crested
Gull-billed
Thornbill
Brown
Buff-rumped
Chestnut-rumped
Inland
Slaty-backed
Striated
Yellow
Yellow-rumped
Thrush
Bassian
Treecreeper
Brown
White-browed
White-throated
Triller
White-winged
Wagtail, Willie
Warbler, Speckled
Wattlebird
Little
Red
Wedgebill
Chirruping
Weebill
Whimbrel
Whipbird
Eastern
Whistler
Golden
Olive
Rufous
Willie Wagtail
Wood Duck, Australian
Woodswallow
Black-faced
Dusky
White-breasted
White-browed
| Common names | Scientific names |
| Scientific names |
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(Letters are clickable) |
Acanthagenys rufogularis
Acanthiza
apicalis
chrysorrhoa
lineata
nana
pusilla
robustirostris
uropygialis
Acanthorhynchus
tenuirostris
Accipiter
cirrhocephalus
fasciatus
Acrocephalus
stentoreus
Aegotheles cristatus
Ailuroedus
crassirostris
Alcedo
azurea
Alectura lathami
Alisterus scapularis
Anas
castanea
gracilis
rhynchotis
superciliosa
Anhinga melanogaster
Anseranas semipalmata
Anthochaera
carunculata
chrysoptera
Anthus
novaeseelandiae
Aprosmictus erythropterus
Apus
pacificus
Aquila
audax
Ardea
alba
(Egretta) garzetta
ibis
intermedia
novaehollandiae
pacifica
Ardeotis australis
Artamus
cinereus
cyanopterus
leucorynchus
superciliosus
Aviceda subcristata
Aythya australis
Barnardius zonarius
Biziura lobata
Burhinus grallarius
Cacatua
galerita
leadbeateri
roseicapilla
sanguinea
Cacomantis
flabelliformis
variolosus
Calidris
acuminata
Calyptorhynchus
banksii
funereus
lathami
Casuarius casuarius
Cereopsis novaehollandiae
Chalcophaps indica
Charadrius
[Elseyornis] melanops
Cheramoeca leucosternus
Chenonetta jubata
Chlamydera
maculata
Chrysococcyx
basalis
minutillus
osculans
Chthonicola sagittata
Cincloramphus
cruralis
mathewsi
Cinclosoma
punctatum
Circus
approximans
assimilis
Cisticola
exilis
Climacteris
affinis
picumnus
Colluricincla
harmonica
Columba leucomela
Corcorax melanorhamphos
Cormobates leucophaeus
Coracina
maxima
novaehollandiae
papuensis
Corvus
bennetti
coronoides
mellori
Coturnix
ypsilophora
Cracticus
nigrogularis
torquatis
Cuculus
pallidus
Cygnus atratus
Dacelo
leachii
novaeguineae
Daphoenositta chrysoptera
Dendrocygna
eytoni
Dicaeum hirundinaceum
Dicrurus bracteatus
Dromaius novaehollandiae
Eclectus roratus
Elanus
axillaris
scriptus
Entomyzon cyanotis
Eopsaltria
australis
Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
Epthianura
tricolor
Erythrogonys
cinctus
Eudynamys scolopacea
Eurystomus orientalis
Falco
berigora
cenchroides
hypoleucos
longipennis
peregrinus
subniger
Falcunculus frontatus
Fulica atra
Gallinula
tenebrosa
ventralis
Gallirallus
philippensis
sylvestris
Geopelia
cuneata
humeralis
placida [striata]
Gerygone
fusca
olivacea
Glossopsitta
concinna
porphyrocephala
pusilla
Grallina cyanoleuca
Grantiella picta
Grus
rubicunda
Gymnorhina tibicen
Haematopus
longirostris
Haliaeetus leucogaster
Haliastur
indus
sphenurus
Hamirostra melanosternon
Hieraaetus morphnoides
Himantopus himantopus
Hirundapus caudacutus
Hirundo
ariel
neoxena
Hylacola
pyrrhopygia
Lalage
tricolor [sueurii]
Larus
novaehollandiae
Lichenostomus
chrysops
fuscus
leucotis
melanops
penicillatus
plumulus
versicolor
virescens
Lichmera indistincta
Lonchura
castaneothorax
Lophoictinia isura
Lopholaimus antarcticus
Macropygia amboinensis
Malacorhynchus membranaceus
Malurus
cyaneus
lamberti
leucopterus
melanocephalus
Manorina
flavigula
melanocephala
melanophrys
Melanodryas
cucullata
Meliphaga
lewinii
Melithreptus
brevirostris
gularis
lunatus
Melopsittacus undulatus
Menura
novaehollandiae
Merops ornatus
Metopidius [Irediparra] gallinacea
Microeca
fascinans
Milvus migrans
Monarcha
trivirgatus
Morus
serrator
Myiagra
cyanoleuca
inquieta
rubecula
Myzomela
obscura
sanguinolenta
Nectarinia jugularis
Neochmia
modesta
temporalis
Neophema
elegans
pulchella
splendida
Neopsephotus bourkii
Nettapus
coromandelianus
Ninox
connivens
novaeseelandiae
Northiella haematogaster
Numenius
madagascariensis
phaeopus
Nycticorax caledonicus
Nymphicus hollandicus
Ocyphaps lophotes
Oriolus
sagittatus
Orthonyx
temminckii
Oxyura australis
Pachycephala
olivacea
pectoralis
rufiventris
Pandion haliaetus
Pardalotus
punctatus
striatus
Pelecanus conspicillatus
Petroica
goodenovii
multicolor
rosea
Phalacrocorax
carbo
melanoleucos
sulcirostris
varius
Phaps
chalcoptera
Philemon
argenticeps
citreogularis
Phylidonyris
nigra
Platalea
flavipes
regia
Platycercus
adscitus
elegans
eximius
icterotis
Plectorhyncha lanceolata
Plegadis falcinellus
Podargus
strigoides
Podiceps cristatus
Poliocephalus poliocephalus
Polytelis
swainsonii
Pomatostomus
ruficeps
superciliosus
temporalis
Porphyrio porphyrio
Psephotus
haematonotus
varius
Psophodes
cristatus
olivaceus
Ptilinopus
magnificus
superbus
Ptilonorhynchus violaceus
Rhipidura
fuliginosa
leucophrys
rufifrons
Scythrops novaehollandiae
Sericornis
citreogulalis
frontalis
Sericulus chrysocephalus
Smicrornis brevirostris
Sphecotheres viridis
Stagonopleura
guttata
Sterna
bergii
hirundo
nilotica
Strepera
graculina
Struthidea cinerea
Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
Tadorna radjah
Taeniopygia
bichenovii
guttata
Todiramphus
macleayii
sanctus
Threskiornis
molucca
spinicollis
Trichoglossus
chlorolepidotus
haematodus
Tringa
(Actitis) hypoleucos
nebularia
ochropus
Turnix
varia
Tyto
alba
Zoothera
lunulata
Zosterops
lateralis
| Common names | Scientific names |