Western Australia: Southwest Australian Endemic Birds

Western Australia: Southwest Specialties
September 2026/2027

Due to geographic isolation and diverse habitats, the southwest of the state of Western Australia boasts several endemic species and subspecies. This nine-day small-group well-paced Australian birding tour will focus on finding as many of these Western Australian endemic birds as possible, while also enjoying a wide range of other interesting flora and fauna along the way.

Blue-breasted Fairywren is one of our targets on this trip.

Local endemic bird species that we will be focusing our attention on during the tour include Carnaby’s (Short-billed) and Baudin’s (Long-billed) Black Cockatoos, Western Corella, Red-capped Parrot, Western Rosella, Noisy Scrubbird, Western Bristlebird, Red-winged Fairywren, Western Fieldwren, Western Thornbill, Western Wattlebird, Western Spinebill, Gilbert’s Honeyeater (formerly known as Western White-naped or Swan River Honeyeater), White-breasted Robin, Red-eared Firetail, Black-throated Whipbird, and Western Shriketit. Other species that are near-endemics to the state (and still Australian endemics) also form targets, as they are unlikely to be found on other eastern tours, these include Western Yellow Robin, Rufous Treecreeper, Blue-breasted Fairywren, and Spotted Scrubwren.

One of the toughest birds to see in all of Australia; we will hope to see Noisy Scrubbird well again, this is one seriously tough bird, but we have a great record of seeing them on our tours.

Additional species we will also be looking for include the Australian endemics Malleefowl, Square-tailed Kite, Banded Stilt, Hooded Plover, Rock Parrot, Elegant Parrot, Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Western Whistler, Splendid Fairywren, and the near-endemic Fairy Tern. The isolation of southwestern Australia has led to a high degree of endemism, also at the subspecies level, and we will try to see as many of these as possible in case of potential future splits, such as (Western) Scarlet Robin and others. This tour will prove interesting for those participants who have been birding on the Australian East Coast and/or in Tasmania and are interested in the possibility of some potential future armchair ticks!

Western Shriketit is a recent split and found in the southwest of Western Australia.

For those wishing to explore Australia further, this tour can be combined with our Birding Tour Australia: Northern Territory – Alice Springs and Uluru Birding Tour and our  Birding Tour Australia: Northern Territory – Top End Birding Tour, both of these tours precede this Western Australia birdwatching tour.

Itinerary (9 days/8 nights)

Day 1. Arrival in Perth

Morning arrival into Perth, if not arrived ahead of the tour starting. We will meet in the afternoon and spend the late afternoon birding around Perth, including near to our hotel, adjacent to the famous grounds of the Kings Park and Botanical Gardens, within the city. If we have time, we will take a walk into the park, where we will hope to connect with the first of the southwestern endemics, Western Spinebill and Western Wattlebird, as well as more widespread White-cheeked, New Holland, and Singing Honeyeaters and the huge and ever-vocal Red Wattlebird. Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo could be present, feeding in the pine trees, and we will likely find Little Corella, Australian Ringneck, Laughing Dove (introduced from Africa/India), and Rainbow Lorikeet and Laughing Kookaburra (both introduced from eastern Australia). Passerines here may include Australia’s smallest bird, the tiny Weebill, Australian Reed Warbler, and Little Grassbird, while waterbirds may include the beautiful Nankeen Night Heron and the stately Black Swan. We may also visit other sites within the city depending on local flowering conditions and time available.

Overnight: Perth

Day 2. Perth to Dryandra Woodland

We will likely spend the early morning birding around Perth, seeing some of the above species and others. If tidal conditions allow, we may find Red-necked Stint, Sharp-tailed and Curlew Sandpipers, Great and Red Knots, and Pacific Golden and Grey Plovers, among others. We will also check out some of the lakes in and around the city before we head south. The waterbodies here may harbor a late Freckled Duck if we are very lucky but other species likely include Hardhead, Blue-billed Duck, and Hoary-headed Grebe. Lakeside vegetation may hold Little Grassbird, Australian Reed Warbler, Grey Fantail and Spotless Crake. We will also keep our eyes peeled skywards for any raptors that may be overhead.

Spotless Crakes are often shy and retiring, but occasionally, with patience, they can show well.

After a late breakfast we will leave Perth and head south towards the Dryandra Woodland area, keeping a look out for Baudin’s Black and Red-tailed Black Cockatoos along the way. After lunch we will check in to our accommodation for the next couple of nights and then head out for an afternoon birding in the local vicinity. This is one of the prime birding sites in the region, so we want to do it justice over the next couple of days.

Overnight: Narrogin

Day 3. Full day at Dryandra Woodland

The woodland consists of an interesting mix of Eucalyptus (jarrah, wandoo, and marri), with a good native shrub layer. We will spend the full day in and around the woodland and will look for some of the area’s specialties, such as Western Yellow Robin, Rufous Treecreeper, Western Whistler, Blue-breasted Fairywren, Western Thornbill, Spotted Scrubwren, and Western Shriketit. We will also look for ‘the’ special mammal found at Dryandra – the rare Numbat.

An exceptionally rare and range-restricted endemic mammal – Numbat. Unusually for an Australian mammal, this species is diurnal, spending its days hunting for termites.

There are plenty of birds to look for around the huge woodland, and we will focus on finding the above birds and other exciting species such as Painted Buttonquail, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Goshawk, Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo, Red-capped Parrot, Western Rosella, Regent Parrot, Elegant Parrot, Brush Bronzewing, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Western Spinebill, and Tawny-crowned, Yellow-plumed, Brown, Brown-headed, White-cheeked, New Holland, White-eared, and Gilbert’s Honeyeaters, Restless Flycatcher, and Splendid Fairywren.

Overnight: Narrogin

Day 4. Dryandra Woodland to Stirling Range National Park

We will spend the morning back in Dryandra Woodland or another nearby interesting site, focusing on finding the aforementioned species and others that we may still be looking for, or want to see again after our last couple of days.

The open woodland of Dryandra is great for finding Rufous Treecreeper, a species that actually spends a great deal of time on the ground!

As the day progresses, we will continue south to the Stirling Range National Park, an area renowned for its impressive flora and pretty landscape, as well as plenty of avian targets. While here we will search for Black-throated Whipbird, Southern Scrub Robin, Western Spinebill, Gilbert’s and Purple-gaped Honeyeaters, Western Yellow Robin, Blue-breasted Fairywren, and Western Fieldwren.

Overnight: Amelup

Western Spinebill is one seriously beautiful honeyeater.

Day 5. Stirling Range National Park to Cheynes Beach

We will spend the morning birding at Sterling Range, seeking out those species referred to above but also many others, such as Square-tailed Kite, Spotted Harrier, Little Eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Elegant Parrot, Regent Parrot, Rufous Treecreeper, Southern Emu-wren, Red-winged Fairywren, White-breasted Robin, (Western) Scarlet Robin, Western Thornbill, Western Shriketit, and Red-eared Firetail.

After our birding session here, we will travel down to the south coast township of Cheynes Beach, along the way looking out for interesting species such as White-necked Heron, Banded Stilt, and other interesting shorebirds/waders. Cheynes Beach is home to some great (and very difficult) birds, and we will start looking for these as soon as possible after our arrival and check in for our two night stay here.

Overnight: Cheynes Beach

Day 6. Full day at Cheynes Beach

A full day birding the Cheynes Beach area for three of Australia’s toughest, most skulking birds: Noisy Scrubbird, Western Bristlebird, and Black-throated Whipbird (a different subspecies from that at Stirling Ranges and a much talked-about potential further future split). These birds are difficult to see, but we will put all of our effort into securing views of them all during the course of the day.

The heathland at Cheynes Beach is beautiful and occasionally one of the major skulkers shows well, such as this Western Bristlebird.

There are also plenty of other species to look for in the area, such as Wedge-tailed Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite, Spotted Harrier, Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo, Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Brush Bronzewing, Southern Emu-wren, Red-winged Fairywren, Spotted Scrubwren, Inland Thornbill, White-cheeked Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, White-breasted Robin, Dusky Woodswallow, and Red-eared Firetail.

Black-throated Whipbird is another of the tough ones, but occasionally they come to the tops of the Banksia shrubs to announce their presence.

Weather permitting, at night we will look and listen for Tawny Frogmouth, Australian Boobook, and Spotted Nightjar, as well as the area’s nocturnal creatures such as Quokka, Western Ringtail Possum, the tiny Honey Possum (sometimes possible during the day too – they are tiny!), Western Brush Wallaby, and Southern Brown Bandicoot.

Overnight: Cheynes Beach

Day 7. Cheynes Beach to Augusta

We will spend the early morning birding around Cheynes Beach again, enjoying views of some of the above species and mopping up any others we may still want to try and see. We will then make our way west along the spectacularly forested coast with giant red tingle and karri trees towards Augusta. With a stop at Lake Muir Nature Reserve along the way we may find a selection of interesting wildfowl and waders (very much depending on water levels), such as Banded Stilt, Eurasian Coot, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, White-faced Heron, Blue-billed Duck, Freckled Duck, and Chestnut Teal. More secretive species around the lake shore include Spotless Crake, Black-backed Bittern, and Australasian Bittern.

Regardless of water levels, the woodland surrounding the lake is home to a population of Western Corella, known as ‘Muir’s Corella’, which is an endemic and isolated subspecies and worth looking for. Other birds possible here include Emu, Carnaby’s, Baudin’s, and Red-tailed Black Cockatoos, Western Rosella, Australian Ringneck, Brown Quail, Square-tailed Kite, Western Spinebill, Gilbert’s Honeyeater, Southern Emu-wren, White-winged Triller, Restless Flycatcher, Western Yellow Robin, (Western) Scarlet Robin, and Spotted Pardalote. We will arrive in Augusta in time to freshen up before dinner.

Overnight: Augusta

Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos can sometimes be found feeding on spilt grain on the side of the remote roads.

Day 8. Augusta to Busselton

The morning will be spent birding around the rugged coastline of the Cape Leeuwin area, pretty much the most southwesterly point of this huge continent-country where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean. We will look for seabirds here, such as Bridled Tern, Fairy Tern, Flesh-footed, Hutton’s, and Little Shearwaters, Southern Giant and Northern Giant Petrels, and Indian Yellow-nosed, Black-browed, and Shy Albatrosses. Much depends on what the weather is doing as to what is possible here over the water on any given day.

Along the coast we will look for Sooty and Pied Oystercatchers, Hooded Plover, Grey-tailed Tattler, Far Eastern Curlew, Pacific Reef Heron, Rock Parrot, Southern Emu-wren, and Splendid Fairywren.

After birding here, we will slowly wind our way up the coast, checking our areas of Banksia, jarrah, and marri woodland, with the hopes of seeing more black cockatoos, and Western Shriketit. We will stop in the picturesque Margaret River for lunch and will arrive in the Busselton area in the afternoon for the final night of the tour.

Overnight: Busselton

Hooded Plover is considered Vulnerable (BirdLife International), which is not surprising, it has a lot of recreational pressure on its breeding grounds (sandy beaches), but we will hope to find this beautiful shorebird during the tour.

Day 9. Busselton to Perth, departure

Our final morning will be spent checking out some areas around Busselton where we often find interesting shorebirds and waterfowl. We will then commence the return journey back to Perth keeping our eyes peeled for anything interesting we may still want to see.

We will arrive in Perth mid-afternoon where the tour will conclude in time for an evening flight to your next destination.

Overnight: Not included

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different international guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling.

Western Australia: Southwest Australian Endemic Birds Set Departure Trip Report, September 2025

27 SEPTEMBER – 05 OCTOBER 2025

 By Andy Walker

We enjoyed prolonged, close, and eye-level views of the attractive Red-eared Firetail during our Western Australia birding tour.­

Overview

This birding tour of Western Australia started in Perth on the 27^th of September 2025 and ended back there on the 5^th of October 2025. The tour focused on the endemic birds of southwestern Australia, as well many more widespread Australian endemic birds. During this Western Australia bird tour we birded at Victoria Dam, Lake Monger Reserve, Herdsman Lake, Wandoo National Park, Foxes Lair Nature Reserve, Dryandra Woodland National Park, Stirling Range National Park, Cheynes Beach, Lake Muir, Cape Leeuwin, and Margaret River.

We recorded 151 bird species on this Western Australia birdwatching tour (four of these were heard only) and you can also see our eBird trip report, here. Some of the highlight birds seen on the tour included Freckled Duck, Blue-billed Duck, Musk Duck, Banded Lapwing, Tawny Frogmouth, Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo, Baudin’s Black Cockatoo, Western Corella, Western Rosella, Red-capped Parrot, Regent Parrot, Rock Parrot, Elegant Parrot, Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Little Eagle, Square-tailed Kite, Noisy Scrubbird, Western Bristlebird, Western (Black-throated) Whipbird, Red-winged Fairywren, Blue-breasted Fairywren, Splendid Fairywren, Southern Emu-wren, Spotted Scrubwren, Western Thornbill, Western Gerygone, Western Fieldwren, Rufous Treecreeper, Western Spinebill, Gilbert’s Honeyeater, Western Wattlebird, Western Shriketit, White-breasted Robin, Western Yellow Robin, Scarlet Robin, Western Whistler, and Red-eared Firetail.

In addition to the incredible birds seen, we also found a selection of other great animals, such as Numbat, Short-beaked Echidna, Western Grey Kangaroo, Western Brush Wallaby, and several interesting reptiles. Bird and animal lists for this Western Australia birding tour follow the report.

Blue-breasted Fairywren was one of four gorgeous species of fairywren seen on the tour.

Detailed Report

Day 1, 27^th September 2025. Arrival in Perth

We arrived in Perth in the late afternoon and had a nice relaxing introductory walk around a lake next to our hotel, where we had excellent close views of Australasian Darter, Nankeen Night Heron, Australasian Grebe, Dusky Moorhen, and a large (and stinky) nesting Little Black Cormorant colony (with a few scattered Little Pied Cormorants present too). It was a nice easy start to the tour and we followed it up with a group welcome meal in the evening, discussing the plans for the coming week or so of birding in the bird-filled southwest of Australia.

Day 2, 28^th September 2025. Birding in Perth

We had a rather wet start to the day with persistent showers, sometimes heavy, hindering us, nevertheless we had a decent haul of birds despite the conditions. We visited the Victoria Dam area in the Perth hills, but walked nowhere near as far as we had hoped due to the weather, yet still built up a respectable list of species in the woodland adjacent to the reservoir, including some of the regional specials we had wanted to target. Highlights from our wet walk included Square-tailed Kite, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Red-capped Parrot, (brief) Red-winged Fairywren, Splendid Fairywren, Western Spinebill, Western Wattlebird, Gilbert’s Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, Weebill, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Western Gerygone, Western Whistler, and Western Yellow Robin. Some of the group also had our first kangaroo sighting, when a lone Western Grey Kangaroo hopped across a side track (it wouldn’t be the last one as many hundreds were seen during the tour)!

Western Wattlebird gave us repeated good views, despite the rain.

In the afternoon we went birding at a couple of sites in Perth city. Our first stop, at Lake Monger Reserve, was fairly quiet compared to usual, with very high water levels. We saw distant Great Crested Grebe, Australasian Swamphen, Australian Shelduck, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, and Little Egret. We didn’t hang around too long as it wasn’t looking like it was going to be vastly productive, however.

Splendid Fairywren gave good and prolonged views when a territorial dispute was going on.

After our birding at Lake Monger Reserve, we moved the short distance to nearby Herdsman Lake, where we had excellent looks at stunning breeding plumage Great Crested Grebes and Australasian Grebes. Additionally, we had very close looks at Pink-eared Duck, and good views of Australian Shoveler, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, and attractive Blue-billed Ducks, distant views of a Musk Duck (with a youngster riding on its back) and Black Swan and, best of all, a close look at our main target of the afternoon, Freckled Duck. As we walked around the area we also gained better views of Australasian Swamphen and Australian White Ibis. Australian Reed Warbler, Silvereye, and Australian Raven gave some very good and close views, while Purple-backed Fairywrens showed sporadically, and Little Grassbird remained hidden and heard only.

Blue-billed Duck is rather attractive and we enjoyed seeing this species very well.

As the afternoon drew to a close we had one further site to check, and we hoped to do it before the next band of rain hit us, after we’d had reasonable weather for most of the afternoon. Our final stop near Herdsman Lake produced a wide range of species, including Australian Pelican, Great Egret, Pink-eared Duck (with some large ducklings), Buff-banded Rail, nesting Willie Wagtails and Red Wattlebirds, Magpie-Lark and, best of all, a family group of nesting/roosting Tawny Frogmouths which showed wonderfully – an early tour highlight, for sure! Despite the tough and unfavorable weather conditions through much of the day we ended up with a very pleasing mix of woodland and wetland species, including our first of the southwestern Australian specials.

Always a big target and we were very pleased to get such great views of this Freckled Duck.

Day 3, 29^th September 2025. Perth to Dryandra Woodland National Park

We left Perth and commenced our journey to Narrogin, our base to explore Dryandra Woodland National Park. Along the way we stopped in Wandoo National Park, where we spent a couple of hours exploring the pretty woodland. One of the best birds we saw here was Western Shriketit, however despite the bird showing closely it was only a relatively brief view. We enjoyed our first views of Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos and Regent Parrots as well as our first sightings of Rufous Treecreeper, Dusky Woodswallow, and the locally abundant Yellow-plumed Honeyeater (which were chasing off almost anything they saw!).

We continued our drive down to Dryandra Woodland National Park, where we enjoyed a productive afternoon, finding many of the small birds of the woodland, including Blue-breasted Fairywren, Spotted Scrubwren, Western Gerygone, Western Thornbill, Scarlet Robin, Jacky Winter, Gilbert’s Honeyeater, Brown-headed Honeyeater, White-winged Triller, and plenty of others. A highlight was the views we had of a Square-tailed Kite which circled nicely overhead (a happier looking individual than the soaking wet one we had seen yesterday, which looked thoroughly miserable!).

In the late afternoon we had a brief sighting of Bush Stone-curlew, some excellent and close looks at the gorgeous Australian Ringneck, some brief flyover Purple-crowned Lorikeet views, and a large mob of Western Grey Kangaroos feeding out in the open. After dinner back in town we heard an Australian Boobook calling near our accommodation, but it remained elusive.

We had repeated good views of Square-tailed Kites during the first half of the tour.

Day 4, 30^th September 2025. Birding at Dryandra Woodland National Park and environs

We had a really great long morning birding session in Dryandra Woodland National Park, which actually stretched into the early afternoon as it was that good! The day started with a decent chill and we were all wrapped up in lots of layers, but as the morning progressed the temperatures increased and the bird and wildlife activity was busy. As we were driving towards the park a brief stop gave some of us views of a roadside male Western Rosella, but it quickly flew off (Australian Pipit and Singing Honeyeater a slight compensation for some).

As we drove to an area of the park to commence our birding, seeing Western Grey Kangaroo along the way, we were quickly watching several Purple-crowned Lorikeets and soon thereafter we found Western Brush Wallaby (not usually seen during daylight hours), another Square-tailed Kite, soaring Little Eagle, a singing Rufous Songlark, and a Restless Flycatcher living up to its name. We spent time checking out several areas where we had previously seen Western Shrike Tit on other tours, and at one such location were rewarded with great looks at a pair of birds, this species being the “bird of the trip” for some of the group.

Western Shriketit showed nicely in Dryandra Woodland National Park.

At the shriketit stops we also picked up several new birds for the trip, or improved views of birds we had previously seen poorly/briefly, such as Wedge-tailed Eagle, Little Eagle (perched this time), Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo, Shining Bronze Cuckoo, White-browed Babbler, Rufous Treecreeper, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Dusky Woodswallow, Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, and Blue-breasted Fairywren. We also gained much better views of several parrot species, such as Regent Parrot, Elegant Parrot, and a pair of Western Rosellas, which everyone was able to enjoy.

One of the other main reasons for coming birding in Dryandra Woodland National Park is to look for Short-beaked Echinda (a rather odd looking egg-laying mammal which is reliably seen in the park) and the star of the area, the Endangered (ICUN Red List) Numbat, a diurnal carnivorous (termite eating) marsupial. Today we were lucky and had great and prolonged views of both. Two definite non-bird tour highlights. Satisfied with our morning haul we drove back into town for a late bakery lunch and followed it up with a short siesta before heading out birding again later.

We couldn’t have asked for better views of Numbat while birding at Dryandra Woodland National Park.

In the late afternoon we visited a patch of forest near town. Along the way we had the great sight of a male Western Rosella feeding on a lawn and showing very nicely. Once we reached the forest patch we found Square-tailed Kite, Varied Sittella, White-cheeked Honeyeater, Brown-headed Honeyeater, Western Gerygone, Striated Pardalote, Western Whistler, and Scarlet Robin. Interestingly an out of range Peaceful Dove was heard calling, along with a more expected Common Bronzewing. Australian Ringnecks and Red-capped Parrots put on a nice show in the last moments of the afternoon.

Day 5, 1^st October 2025. Birding Dryandra Woodland National Park and travel to Stirling Range National Park

We had another morning birding session in Dryandra Woodland National Park, where we picked up several new birds, such as Painted Buttonquail, Collared Sparrowhawk, Brown Goshawk, Scared Kingfisher, and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater. We also gained better views of Bush Stone-curlew, Laughing Kookaburra, and a really beautifully plumaged Western Spinebill. Some in the group saw an additional pair of Western Shriketits too. As we were driving through the park we got lucky with another Numbat sighting, one was sat in the middle of the road before it ran to one side and collected some nesting material and then scampered back across the road, allowing us all great views.

After finishing our birding at Dryandra Woodland, we commenced our journey to Stirling Range National Park. Along the way we noted Crested Pigeon, Common Bronzewing, Pallid Cuckoo, Nankeen Kestrel, Brown Falcon, Red-capped Parrot, Yellow-throated Miner, Western Wattlebird, Black-faced Woodswallow, Grey Butcherbird, and Australian Pipit.

Near to our base for the night we made a stop in some heathland where we had very close views of a pair of Southern Emu-wrens and a somewhat distant view of a singing male Western Fieldwren. Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters were everywhere and those looking up saw Fairy Martins while those looking down saw some nice orchids! While we were checking into our accommodation at Stirling Range a group of five Banded Lapwings were discovered as the sun set, with a showy Grey Butcherbird also present.

We saw several Western Rosellas during the tour.

Day 6, 2^nd October 2025. Birding Stirling Range National Park and travel to Cheynes Beach

We awoke to a rather cold morning which quickly turned into a relatively hot day. We started our birding in the Stirling Range National Park where some had brief views of Western (Black-throated) Whipbird, Western Fieldwren, and Shy Heathwren. We had some excellent and close views of our first and subsequently only Spotted Pardalote of the tour and some great looks at Spotted Scrubwren, White-cheeked Honeyeater, Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, and Grey Shrikethrush (the mountain views were pretty impressive here too).

After breakfast and checking out of our accommodation we took a walk around the lodge area. Birds were thin on the ground but Wedge-tailed Eagle, Banded Lapwing, Red-capped Parrot, Grey Butcherbird, Weebill, and Dusky Woodswallow were seen. However, a highlight from here was the display of incredible orchids present, from the bizarre to the stunning, with many species flowering.

Later, we drove south to the coast where we had a picnic lunch near the beach in the presence of our first White-breasted Robins and huge King’s Skinks. Silvereyes and New Holland Honeyeaters were vocal and showy and both Silver Gull and Pacific Gull flew over.

After checking into our accommodation at Cheynes Beach we went for an afternoon walk into the heathland, it was quite hot but nice and still. After enjoying some nice views of the attractive Brush Bronzewing and the many Western Grey Kangaroos on show in the caravan site, we focused our attention on the trickier species of the area. Before too long we had seen two Western Bristlebirds walking along a sandy track and a bit later most of us saw a pair of Western (Black-throated) Whipbirds that were hiding in the top of a bush and showed quite well, if you could get on them in the first place. Western Wattlebirds were present and Red Wattlebird and White-cheeked Honeyeater were numerous. Noisy Scrubbird was heard and a Brown Quail walked out briefly in front of a few folks! A couple of pairs of Southern Emu-wrens showed in the low heath and a Brown Goshawk flew through and sent everything silent for a period.

As the sun began to wane we headed back down to the beach area, where we had extremely brief views of Noisy Scrubbird, twice (for those fast or lucky enough!). An equally fast, possibly even faster Spotless Crake also ran through our viewing area, while a Brush Bronzewing and White-breasted Robin showed slightly better. An Osprey flew over along the seashore, as did Pacific Gull and Caspian Tern.

Western Bristlebird walkedacross the track in the sand dune in front of us.

Day 7, 3^rd October 2025. Birding Cheynes Beach

We awoke to a milder morning than the previous day and headed out into heathland to see what we could find. Birds were quieter than expected, though we had a good look at a group of three Brown Quails out on the lawn in the campsite. Several Noisy Scrubbirds were calling and a few Western Bristlebirds were vocal too but remaining hidden. Several pairs of vocal Western Wattlebirds were sitting out in the open giving good views and White-cheeked Honeyeaters were abundant. A pair of Ospreys were flying around, three Black-faced Cuckooshrikes were in a territorial battle, and a Grey Currawong appeared to be trying to raid a Red Wattlebird nest. Eventually we heard a Western (Black-throated) Whipbird calling and so changed our location to better stand a chance of improving our views of this species from yesterday, and after a little patience we were rewarded with good views as a male sang out in the open for us.

Western (Black-throated) Whipbird climbed to the top of the scrub and sang perched out in the open for a short while but otherwise remained elusive.

After moving down to the coast we improved our views of Red-winged Fairywren and White-breasted Robin and entered an area of tall heath where some of the group grabbed another glimpse of the Noisy Scrubbird. By now the wind had picked up so we took a look at the beach where we saw Australasian Gannet, Pacific Gull, Greater Crested Tern, and Common Sandpiper.

In the late afternoon we spent some time down near the beach where some saw Sooty Oystercatcher and everyone saw Great Cormorant, Caspian Tern, Greater Crested Tern, Pacific Gull, and Silver Gull. A nesting pair of Ospreys showed nicely too, one eating a freshly caught fish on a power pole. White-breasted Robin, Red-winged Fairywren, and Silvereye showed nicely here too. We entered an area of heath again, where after a bit of a wait we had some close views of Noisy Scrubbird as it ran about on the ground in front of us. Satisfied with these views of the mega skulker we headed back for dinner, seeing more Brown Quail along the way.

Day 8, 4^th October 2023. Cheynes Beach to Busselton via Lake Muir, Cape Leeuwin, and Margaret River

We left the south coast behind and cut inland to the Rocky Gully and Lake Muir area, where a few strategic stops resulted in sightings of the Critically Endangered (BirdLife International) Baudin’s Black Cockatoo and another regional special, Western Corella. We knew a belt of rain was due to pass through the area and we tried our best to dodge the worst of it. We got a little wet a few times but also enjoyed some dry spells in what was a predominantly wet travel morning, luckily most of it spent in the vehicle. Other birds noted while we were focusing on our two main targets, included Emu, Black Swan, Australian Shelduck, Western Rosella, Nankeen Kestrel, Inland Thornbill, and Yellow-rumped Thornbill.

We were almost as wet as the Western Corella after the rain shower hit!

After a wonderful lunch of pies near Margret River we made a brief stop in a beautiful Karri and Wandoo woodland near the town, which gave us an excellent sighting of our final southwest special, Red-eared Firetail – what a stunner! Here we also had great views of Western Rosella, Red-winged Fairywren, and Laughing Kookaburra. A Swamp Harrier also flew over, one of at least three seen during the day. We still had a couple of hours of daylight so chanced our arm in the Cape Leeuwin area, unfortunately our hoped for targets were vacant. We did however see Sooty Oystercatcher, Pacific Gull, and Australian Pied Cormorant. We returned to Busselton in the early evening for dinner and a well-deserved rest and hoped for better weather tomorrow, for the final morning of birding on the tour.

Day 9, 5^th October 2025. Birding Margaret River, Cape Leeuwin, and travel to Perth for the end of the tour

We spent the final morning of the tour birding around Margaret River and Cape Leeuwin searching for plovers and parrots. Unfortunately, people illegally exercising their dogs on the beaches resulted in no plovers, but we did add Pied Oystercatcher to our bird list and a quick seawatch provided some distant views of several Shy Albatrosses and Great-winged Petrels. Australian Pied Cormorants, Sooty Oystercatchers, Australasian Gannets, and Pacific Gulls were much closer to the shore and showed better than the more distant seabirds. We spent some time checking out a couple of areas for Rock Parrots and were successful at our second site. Although they were rather flighty, one bird stuck around and allowed some careful study in an impressive area of huge boulders in a picturesque coastal landscape.

After a late breakfast in Augusta we departed north back to Perth. On the way several birds were noted from the vehicle, including Whistling Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, Nankeen Kestrel, Brown Falcon, Australian Pelican, Straw-necked Ibis, White-necked Heron, White-faced Heron, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Little Corella, and more.

The tour ended back at Perth Airport in the middle of the afternoon after connecting with all of the regional specials of southwest Australia. Thanks to all for a great and enjoyable trip.

We had some close looks at Rock Parrot on our final morning of birding on the tour.

Bird List – Following IOC (15.1)

Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, all other species were seen. The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International: CR = Critically Endangered, EN = Endangered.

Mammal List

Reptile List

This is a sample trip report. Please email us ([email protected]) for more trip reports from this destination.

Birding Tour Australia: Western Australia – Southwest Specialties

 Tour-Specific Information

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT AUSTRALIA CAN BE READ HERE

TOUR OUTLINE

This is a comprehensive Western Australia birding tour, yet it is also well-paced, allowing the opportunity to really enjoy the birds of the region. We have a couple of two-night stays along our Western Australian birding route, where we have more time to unpack and focus on the special birds of each area. Western Australia has been cut off from eastern Australia for many years, and as a result, many regionally endemic birds (and rare mammals) exist. Seemingly each year, scientific studies elevate distinct subspecies to full species status – e.g., Western Shriketit is the latest endemic species for the region with the split of the former Crested Shriketit complex into three geographically isolated “new” species. We pay careful attention to all different subspecies on this tour, even if the species may be common on our eastern Australia tour (if you’ve already done that one) because there is a reasonable chance of a future armchair tick!

Our Western Australia bird tour starts and ends in beautiful Perth. We really recommend getting in early for this tour to get used to the time zone and to enjoy what the city has to offer – good food and wine and some excellent parklands for birding. Perth is a long way from anywhere (even other major cities in Australia!) but is serviced by international flights from all around the world, as well as numerous domestic flights from all around Australia.

We will be concentrating on the endemic birds of Western Australia on this Western Australia birdwatching tour; some of these include some excellent parrots, such as Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo, Baudin’s Black Cockatoo, Western Corella, Red-capped Parrot, and Western Rosella. More secretive regionally endemic birds include Noisy Scrubbird, Western Bristlebird, and Black-throated Whipbird. Other top endemic targets on our Western Australia bird tour include Western Spinebill, Gilbert’s Honeyeater, White-breasted Robin, and Red-eared Firetail. Species not likely on many other Australian bird tours (as they mainly occur in a bit of a birdwatcher’s no-mans-land away from Western Australia), include Rufous Treecreeper, Blue-breasted Fairywren, Western Yellow Robin, and Western Whistler – all are stunners too! The tour also offers up chances of some exciting mammals, with one of the main targets being the very rare Numbat. Other interesting mammals can include Western Grey Kangaroo and the tiny Honey Possum. A decent list of reptiles can be expected if spring has sprung and temperatures are increasing. There could also be some interesting flowers on show, particularly orchids, which the Stirling Range is well known for (weather and season depending).

DAILY ACTIVITIES, PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS, AND TOUR PACE

This Western Australia bird tour goes at a moderate pace, but there are a couple of two-night stays in the itinerary. We will cover quite a bit of ground on our birding circuit of the southwest of Western Australia. This circuit starts and ends in Perth and visits Dryandra Woodland, Stirling Range National Park, Cheynes Beach, Augusta (Cape Leeuwin), and Busselton.

There is quite a bit of driving involved to get between birding areas; these will be broken up by bathroom breaks and lunch/snack stops where possible. Most of the drives are around 2 – 3 hours in duration, but these will become longer with birding/lunch stops added. The longest drive is as we move between Cheynes Beach and Augusta; this is a drive of 4 – 5 hours, depending on traffic and birding stops. We usually buy a picnic lunch and eat this along the way on this day as the route passes through some areas with little provisions but some good birding stops.

The tour is generally considered easy in terms of physical exertion. We tend to make short walks from our vehicle or accommodation in a loop of up to 0.6 – 1.2 miles (1 – 2 kilometers/km), and we may make several of these a day. On a couple of occasions, such as at Cheynes Beach we are likely to make slightly longer walks of 2.5 miles (4 km). Most of the walking we will do will be on mainly flat (sometimes sandy ground), but there are a couple of hills we will walk up/down, particularly while in the Stirling Range area and the Cheynes Beach area. These walks are not considered difficult. We will, of course, take all walks slowly and at birding pace.

We will likely stake out one or two birds, which may require sitting in one place for a few hours (so having some layers will be important in case the temperature is low – see the “Weather” section below). We may look for some nocturnal wildlife at a couple of sites if the weather is suitable.

On some occasions, when we have multiple nights at one location, we will likely take a break for some rest and relaxation during the middle of the day.

TRANSPORTATION

We will use a 12-seater minibus on this Western Australia birdwatching tour. There will be limited baggage space in the vehicle, so please pack as lightly as possible for the tour (including within the seating area).

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

There are no domestic flights on this Western Australia bird tour.

LUGGAGE

Please pack as lightly as possible for this Western Australia birding tour. A medium, soft-sided, and robust duffle bag is likely to work best for packing in the tour vehicles. You will be expected to load and unload your own bags into and out of vehicles and to/from your rooms.

We recommend a daypack is used to keep items that you wish to use daily when in the vehicle or when birding in the field (such as binoculars, camera, notebook, field guide, personal supply of water, snacks, umbrella, rain jacket, extra layers of clothing, etc.).

ACCOMMODATION

We stay in a very wide range of accommodation on this Western Australia birding tour, including nice city hotels, quaint countryside/rural bed and breakfasts, static caravans, holiday cottages, basic hotels/motels, and more luxurious lodges. The accommodation we use on this bird tour has been selected due to their good locations in terms of birding sites and places to eat (also important when in rural locations!). Most accommodation has ensuite bathrooms. At Stirling Range, we stay in small cottages; each cottage has two private bedrooms with a communal bathroom, kitchen, and dining/lounge area. We will spend one night here. The exact number of cottages we have depends on the final number of tour participants and rooming arrangements. Wi-Fi is available at most places we stay on this tour. Some of the accommodation provides breakfast/meals, and we will eat those there, where suitable. See the “Meals” section below for more.

MEALS

Despite Perth being one of the biggest and most cosmopolitan cities in Australia, once you leave the city behind, it becomes rural very quickly. Breakfasts will be taken at our overnight venues in most instances, though at some locations, such as at Stirling Range, Augusta, and Bussleton, we will use local cafés. Most lunches will be sourced from local bakeries or cafés and either eaten onsite or as we drive between different birding locations. Most dinners will be eaten at pubs or restaurants near our accommodation. On one night, when we stay at Stirling Range Retreat, we will have a picnic dinner sourced along the way. Our accommodation at Cheynes Beach will provide breakfast and dinner for us. Please make sure you have notified us of any dietary restrictions for this tour.

WEATHER

This tour will be occurring during the Western Australian spring; therefore, we can expect a range of temperatures and weather. The average daytime temperature is likely to be 61 degrees Fahrenheit (^oF) (16 degrees Centigrade/^oC), with highs of 70 ^oF (21 ^oC). At night, the temperatures could be in the region of 52 ^oF (11 ^oC). It is likely to be warmer inland and cooler by the sea, where southerly airflows can bring colder conditions. There are no notable elevation gains on this tour to impact the temperature. Rainfall could occur at any time on this tour but is more likely in coastal areas.

WHAT TO BRING: CLOTHING AND OTHER ITEMS

The following is a list of useful items to bring on this Western Australia birding tour and should be read in conjunction with the Australia general information document.

1. A field guide to the birds of Western Australia. See the general information for our recommendations for this tour.
2. Hiking pole or walking stick to help on the tracks and trails. While probably not necessary for everyone, a walking stick is compulsory for anyone who is unsteady walking, as we feel this is a safety issue; we don’t want anyone slipping on the trails or anywhere else. Please discuss with us if you are unsure whether you will need one or not.
3. Torch (flashlight) and/or headlamp (headtorch), and spare batteries.
4. High-concentration DEET insect repellant, or similar.
5. A small personal first aid kit. See the suggested items from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), here.
6. Lightweight hiking boots are likely the best footwear for this tour. A set of sandals (flip-flops) and/or trainers would be useful for walking around some of the accommodations but are not suitable for birding time (e.g., consider snake bites, mud, slips, trips, and falls, etc.).
7. Quick-drying birding clothes (in suitable colors) are the best for this tour, and a good selection of clothing layers (including sweater/jumper/fleece/coat) are also recommended due to the potential for cool or even cold mornings or days, particularly on the south coast.
8. Light rain jacket/poncho (and small umbrella) as rain could fall at any time at any location. Spring in Western Australia could see rain showers or prolonged periods of rain if a weather system moves through.
9. A dry bag to keep valuable documents in, such as passports, cell phones, wallets, etc., as well as cameras, if it rains.