Shore & Water Birds

About Shore and Water Birds

The region has a rich variety of wetland habitats including large rivers and lakes, perennial and seasonal creeks, mangrove lined estuaries and freshwater impoundments of varying size. The littoral zone includes mud, sand and rock shores. Coral cays and small areas of exposed coral within the mainland littoral zone also provide significant bird habitat. Consequently a wide variety of birds can be observed, including relatively uncommon species such as the Great Billed Heron and Black Bittern. Many shore birds are summer migrants from the Northern hemisphere.

Some shore and water birds are remarkably tolerant of humans, particularly when feeding. Patient stalking often brings subjects into the range of a 400 mm lens. Given many subjects are large birds and active in strong light, photography is an easier prospect compared with forest birds.

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Great Egret


Great Egret


Great Egret

Great Egret

Great Egret


Intermediate Egret


Intermediate Egret


Little Egret


Little Egret (Breeding plumage)

Eastern Reef Egret (Dark Morph)


Eastern Reef Egret (Dark Morph)


Eastern Reef Egret (Dark Morph)


Eastern Reef Egret (White Morph)



Eastern Reef Egret (White Morph)


Pied Heron


Pied Heron


Pied Heron (Juv)


White-faced Heron


White-faced Heron


White-faced Heron


White-faced Heron & Little Egret


White-necked (Pacific) Heron


Great-billed Heron

Great-billed Heron


Striated Heron (Intermediate morph)


Striated Heron (Intermediate morph)

Striated Heron (Juv)

Striated Heron (Juv)


Striated Heron (Juv)



Nankeen Night Heron


Black Bitten


Black-necked Stork (Jabiru) 


Black-necked Stork (Jabiru) 

Black-necked Stork (Jabiru)

Royal Spoonbill (Non breeding)


Royal Spoonbill, Wandering Whistling Duck
And Black Winged Stilt


Royal Spoonbill (C)

Royal Spoonbill (Hybrid with Yellow Spoonbill) (C)


Brolga

Australasian Darter (Male)


Australasian Darter (Female)


Australasian Darter (Male)


Comb-crested Jacana


Comb-crested Jacana


Comb-crested Jacana

Comb-crested Jacana


Comb-crested Jacana (Juv)

Comb-crested Jacana (Juv)


White- browed Crake


Masked Lapwing

Masked Lapwing


Purple Swamphen

Purple Swamphen

Eurasian Coot and Dusky moorhen



Australasian Grebe

Australasian Grebe


Dusky Moorhen


Dusky Moorhen (Juv & chick)


Dusky Moorhen


Wandering Whistling Duck

Wandering Whistling Duck

Spotted Whistling Duck


Spotted Whistling Duck

Plumed Whistling Duck


Hard Head Duck (Male)

Hard Head Duck (Female)


Radjah Shelduck

Radjah Shelduck

Pacific Black Duck


Pacific Black Duck


Northern Mallard (Female)

Australasian Wood Duck


Green Pygmy Goose (Male left)

Cotton Pygmy Goose (Male)

Magpie Goose

Magpie Goose


Magpie Goose


Black Swan


Beach Stone Curlew


Beach Stone Curlew


Beach Stone Curlew

Beach Stone Curlew


Wandering Tattler


Grey-Tailed Tattler (Non-breeding)


Grey-tailed Tattler (Overwintering)

Grey-tailed Tattler (Summer migrant)



Sanderling


Greater Sand Plover (Non breeding)

Greater Sand Plover (Non breeding)

Greater Sand Plover
(Breeding & non breeding plumage)

Lesser Sand Plover

Red-capped Plover (Female)


Red-capped Plover (Male)


Black-fronted Dotterel


Black-fronted Dotterel

Red-kneed Dotterel

Red-kneed Dotterel

Ruddy Turnstone (Juv)

Pacific Golden Plovers (Non-breeding)

Grey Plover (Non-breeding)

Grey Plover

Great Knot

Sharp-tailed sandpiper

Marsh Sandpiper


Bar Tailed Godwit (Non-breeding)

Bar Tailed Godwit (Non-breeding)

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Greenshank

Pied Oystercatcher

Pied Oystercatcher


Black-Winged Stilt

Black-Winged Stilt

Black-Winged Stilt

Black-Winged Stilt


Black-Winged Stilt (Juv)


Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis and Swamp Hen

White Ibis

White Ibis

White Ibis

Bridled Tern

Bridled Tern

Caspian Tern

Great Frigate Bird (Juv)

Common Noddy

Common Noddy

Silver Gull

Crested Tern (Non breeding)


Crested Tern (Juv)

Crested Terns (Breeding and Imm)

Little Tern
Little Tern


Gull-Billed Tern (Juv)


Gull-Billed Tern (Breeding)


Whimbrel


Whimbrel


Eastern Curlew

Eastern Curlew 

Pelican and Black Cormorant feeding


Australian Pelican

Australian Pelican


Australian Pelican

Little Black Cormorant

Little Pied Cormorant


Little Pied Cormorant