Bird resources

Books

Some of the best books around on birds, including technical manuals, general reference books, field guides and fun bird books for kids.

General reference

Boles, W E 1988. The Robins and Flycatchers of Australia. National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Australian Museum with Angus and Robertson, Sydney.

Christidis, L and Boles, W 1994. The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories. RAOU, Melbourne. Monograph 2

Clyne, D 1988. Densey Clyne's Wildlife of Australia. Reed Books P/L. Reprinted in 1999 by Reed New Holland. 144 pp.

Clyne, D 1993. The Best of Wildlife in the Suburbs. Illustrated by Martyn Robinson. Oxford University Press Australia.

Crome, F. and Shields, J. 1992. Parrots and Pigeons of Australia. Angus and Robertson/National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife, Sydney.

Cupper, J. and Cupper, L. 1981. Hawks in Focus. Jaclin, Mildura.

Edden, R. and Boles, W.E. 1986. Birds of the Australian Rainforests. Reed Books, Sydney.

Forshaw, J M (consultant editor) 1998. Encyclopedia of Birds. UNSW Press, Sydney.

Gerozisis, J and Hadlington, P 1995. Urban Pest Control in Australia. UNSW Press, Sydney. 294 pp. 3rd rev. edition. [includes chapter on bird pests]

Green, K and Osborne, W S 1994. Wildlife of the Australian Snow-country: a comprehensive guide to alpine fauna. Reed Books.

Hollands, D. 1984. Eagles, Hawks and Falcons of Australia. Nelson, Melbourne.

Kaplan, G 2003. Famous Australian Birds. Allen and Unwin.

Lindsey, T R 1986. The Seabirds of Australia. National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Australian Museum with Angus and Robertson, Sydney.

Longmore, N W 1991. The Honeyeaters and their Allies of Australia. National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Australian Museum with Angus and Robertson, Sydney.

Nix, H A and Switzer, M A 1991. Rainforest Animals: atlas of vertebrates endemic to Australia's Wet Tropics. ANPWS, Canberra.

Olsen, P. 1995. Australian Birds of Prey: the Biology and Conservation of Raptors. University of New South Wales Press, Sydney.

Olsen, P., Crome, F. and Olsen, J. 1993. The Birds of Prey and Ground Birds of Australia. Angus and Robertson, and the National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife, Sydney.

Pringle, J D 1987. The Shorebirds of Australia. National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Australian Museum with Angus and Robertson, Sydney.

Reilly, P.N. 1985 (Reprinted 1993). The Penguin That Walks by Night. Kangaroo Press.

Strahan, J. (ed) 1976. Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds. . Reader's Digest Services P/L.

Reader's Digest. 1997. Encyclopedia of Australian Wildlife. National Library of Australia Cataloguing.

Olsen, P, Crome, F and Olsen, J 1993. Birds of Prey and Ground Birds of Australia. National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife Australian Museum with Angus and Robertson, Sydney

Pringle, J.D. 1985. The Waterbirds of Australia. National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Australian Museum with Angus and Robertson, Sydney.

Serventy, V.N. (ed) 1982. The Wrens and Warblers of Australia. Angus and Robertson and the Australian Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife, Sydney.

Stahel, C. and Gales, R. 1987. Little Penguins. New South Wales University Press. Sydney.

Strahan, R. (ed) 1994. Cuckoos, Nightbirds and Kingfishers of Australia. Angus and Robertson/Australian Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife, Sydney.

Strahan, R (ed.) 1996 Finches, Bowerbirds and Other Passerines of Australia. National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife, Australian Museum with Angus and Robertson, Sydney.

Field guides

Hoskin, E S (with Hindwood, K A and McGill, A R) 1991. The Birds of Sydney: County of Cumberland, New South Wales, 1770-1989. 2nd edition. Surrey Beatty and Sons P/L.

Morcombe, M 2000. Field Guide to Australian Birds. Steve Parish Publishing.

Morrison, R G B 1981. A Field Guide to the Tracks and Traces of Australian Animals. Rigby Publishers Ltd, Adelaide.

Pizzey, G 1997. The Graham Pizzey and Frank Knight Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Angus and Robertson.

Roberts, P 1993. Birdwatcher's Guide to the Sydney Region. Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst.

Simpson, K and Day, N 1999. Simpson and Day Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Viking Penguin Books Australia. 6th edition.

Slater, P, Slater, P, and Slater, R 1989. The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds. Lansdowne. Revised edition.

Bird behaviour and ecology

Ford, H A 1989. Ecology of Birds: an Australian perspective. Surrey Beatty and Sons P/L.

Reilly, P 1998. Private Lives: ages, mates and movements of some Australian birds. Kangaroo Press.

Rowley, I 1990. Behavioural Ecology of the Galah, Eolophus roseicapillus, in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia. Surrey Beatty and Sons P/L with CSIRO.

Kids

Morris, J and L Tracey. 1993 . Australian Owls, frogmouths and nightjars. Greater Glider Productions, Queensland.

Audio-visual

Audio recordings for listening to and identifying bird calls.
Fred van Gessel. Bird Calls of the Greater Sydney Region, Volumes 1-4. Audio CD.

Fred has provided all of the audio recordings on the Birds in Backyards website. His CD is also available from the Australian Museum Bookshop. Contact: 02 9320 6150.

Birds in Backyards partnership

Find out more about both the Australian Museum and Birds Australia.

Australian Museum - Research: Birds
The Australian Museum has had a long history of research in ornithology (study of birds). Its collections are a valuable resource for scientific research, are part of our natural heritage and contribute to the knowledge and information available to the whole community.

Australian Museum - Research: Terrestrial Ecology
Research in Terrestrial Ecology concentrates on discovering more about the relationships between terrestrial species and their environment.

Australian Museum: Birds - FAQs
Find answers to common questions about birds, including what to do with a injured or dead bird, and what the Australian Museum is doing in bird research.

Australian Museum: Wild Kids
Wild Kids is a website aimed at six to twelve-year-olds and is a doorway to lots of interesting information and illustrations about a range of Australian animals (including birds) and about plants and habitats. Kids can use the site to find out more, check facts or explore other areas of the Australian Museum's website and the Web.

Birds Australia
Birds Australia is dedicated to the conservation, study and enjoyment of Australia's native birds and their habitats.

Birds Australia Southern NSW and ACT Regional Group (BASNA)
A regional group of Birds Australia, BASNA is an independent, not-for profit, research and conservation organisation whose mission is to conserve native birds and biological diversity.

Birdata: Bird Atlas website
Birdata is the web version of Birds Australia's New Atlas of Australian Birds. It collects data on where and when bird species are found across Australia.

Bird organisations

A list of bird-related organisations, including specialist study groups, bird observers' clubs and atlassing organisations.

Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme (ABBBS)
A database designed to provide information on bird and bat species, banded under the auspices of the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme (ABBBS).

Australasian Raptor Association (ARA)
Established to promote the study, conservation and management of diurnal and nocturnal Raptors (Birds of Prey) throughout Australia and South-east Asia.

Australasian Wader Studies Group (AWSG)
A non-government organisation dedicated to studying waders (otherwise known as shorebirds) throughout the East-Asian Australasian Flyway.

Australian Bird Study Association (ABSA)
Aims to support, encourage and promote the study of Australian birds and to contribute to their conservation.

Birds Australia (Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union)
Birds Australia is dedicated to the conservation, study and enjoyment of Australia's native birds and their habitats.

Birds Australia Southern Queensland (BASQ)
A regional group of Birds Australia.

Bird Obseration and Conservation Australia (BOCA)
Helping today's birds survive tomorrow. BOCA is in the process of building a new site that links to recommended birding locations throughout Australia with access to established sightings database(s) and a guestbook facility for each site. The site will also contain details of all the Birding Clubs in Australia.

Canberra Ornithologists Group (COG)
Encourages interest in and knowledge of the birds of the Canberra region and promotes and co-ordinate the study and conservation of native birds and their habitat.

Birding NSW
Birding NSW (The NSW Field Ornithologists Club Inc) is a club whose aim is to share with others the joys of birding and to support the conservation of birds. Affiliated with BOCA (the Bird Observers Club of Australia).

Cumberland Bird Observers Club (CBOC)
The Cumberland Bird Observers' Club conducts bird-watching trips all over the greater Sydney region, as well as monthly evening meetings with guest speakers from around the world and slide shows.

Hunter Bird Observers Club (HBOC)
The only club in the Hunter region that caters specifically for those with an interest in birdlife in its natural habitat.

NSW Bird Atlassers Inc
Aims to monitor the distribution of birds in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, as well as preserve habitats and provide a proper basis for environmental impact studies and for other ornithological reference purposes.

About birds: biology and behaviour

Includes information on individual species, common backyard 'buddies', bird call sites and places to see birds.

ABC Wildsound: Australian bird songs
An extensive list of bird calls.

Australian Museum Birds: Glowing parrots
Find out why parrots' feathers glow under ultraviolet light.

Australian National University: Common Indian Myna Website
Describes the Common Indian Myna, Acridotheres tristis, explains why it is a problem, and what is being done to control it.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: Meet some of your backyard buddies
Includes: kookaburras, Eastern Rosellas, Tawny Frogmouths, Little Penguins and Superb Fairy-wrens.

Living Harbour: Where to see birds
Includes information on birds from different habitats around Sydney Harbour.

Birds in Backyards