WA's South is a biodiverse hotspot with more than 350 species of birds native to the region and a dozen species endemic to the area. Visitors can enjoy sightings of famous Carnaby's black cockatoos, Western Corellas and friendly pink and grey galahs.
WA's South is a biodiverse hotspot with more than 350 species of birds native to the region and a dozen species endemic to the area. Visitors can enjoy sightings of famous Carnaby's black cockatoos, Western Corellas and friendly pink and grey galahs. The best area for birds is the southwestern corner of the state, where most of WA's endemics occur. National parks in the South West and Great Southern are spectacular for birdwatching - try Fitzgerald River, Leeuwin-Naturaliste (for red-tailed tropic birds, although rarely spotted nowadays), and Torndirrup and Porongurup national parks. Two People's Bay Nature Reserve is one of the best (and most popular) birding locations. A feature of this nature reserve, the noisy scrub-bird, was believed to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1961. It's best to contact a local birdwatcher for locations where they can be found. [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="https://media.localista.com.au/2018/09/Birds-AustralianShelduck-LakeMonger-Shutterstock-1200x675.jpg|Shelducks at Lake Monger, Perth,https://media.localista.com.au/2018/09/Birds-BlueWingedKookaburra-Caversham-Shutterstock-1200x675.jpg|Blue-Winged Kookaburra, Caversham"] At Little Beach, you can spot the western whipbird, a threatened species - shortly after sunrise is the best time to see one. If you're headed to the coast, you can observe species on the rocks such as the sooty oystercatcher and eastern reef egret, along with white-bellied sea eagle and wedge-tailed eagle. The Eyre Bird Observatory (formerly the Eyre Telegraph Station) is run by BirdLife Australia, who also run the Broome Bird Observatory. It's a remote site surrounded by Nuytsland Nature Reserve in the south-east corner of the state, and home to some 240 species of bird. The observatory is situated on isolated coastline and visiting twitchers can pre-book accommodation to make the most of locale. Image credit: Shutterstock
