Books

Finding Birds
I suggest the following books to help find great places to go birding in Australia (descriptions are those provided by the publishers):


Book cover Where to See Birds in Victoria
edited by Tim Dolby
Where to See Birds in Victoria features the very best places in Victoria for seeing birds. Despite being Australia's smallest mainland state, its varied landscapes provide habitat for more than 500 bird species. It is without question one of Australia's best-kept birding secrets. 

Compiled, written and photographed by a dedicated team from Birds Australia (Vic), this guide features over 40 destinations throughout Victoria, including such classic birding spots as Wyperfeld, Hattah-Kulkyne, Little Desert, Chiltern, Mount Pilot, Terrick Terrick, the Grampians, Croajingolong, Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula, the Otway Ranges, Wilsons Promontory and Mount Buffalo, as well as many places in and around Melbourne and along the coast. 

Where to See Birds in Victoria provides information on how to get to each destination, what facilities and accommodation to expect and, importantly, precisely where to look for those special or rare birds. The book also provides a comprehensive and up-to-date list of birds, with the degree of rarity and where to see it noted for each species. So, for Victorians and visitors to the state, the secret is out. What better way to see some wonderful places and magnificent wildlife than by using Where to See Birds in Victoria as your guide?

Book cover Finding Australian Birds: A Field Guide to Birding Locations
by Tim Dolby and Rohan Clarke
Finding Australian Birds is a guide to the special birds found across Australia's vastly varied landscapes. From the eastern rainforests to central deserts, Australia is home to some 900 species of birds. This book covers over 400 Australian bird watching sites conveniently grouped into the best birding areas, from one end of the country to the other. This includes areas such as Kakadu in the Top End and rocky gorges in the central deserts of the Northern Territory, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, rainforests distributed along the eastern Australian seaboard, some of the world's tallest forests in Tasmania, the Flinders Ranges and deserts along the iconic Strzelecki and Birdsville Tracks in South Australia, and the mallee temperate woodlands and spectacular coastlines in both Victoria and south west Western Australia. 

Each chapter begins with a brief description of the location, followed by a section on where to find the birds, which describes specific birdwatching sites within the location's boundaries, and information on accommodation and facilities. The book also provides a comprehensive 'Bird Finding Guide', listing all of Australia's birds with details on their abundance and where exactly to see them. 

Of value to both Australian birdwatchers and international visitors, this book will assist novices, birders of intermediate skill and keen 'twitchers' to find any Australian species.

Book cover Best 100 Birdwatching Sites in Australia
by Sue Taylor
Where can you see 400,000 breeding pairs of rockhopper penguins? Where is the best place in Australia to observe Yellow Chats? And where is the only place in Australia you can have a close encounter with nesting Lesser Noddies? Well-known birder and author of How Many Birds Is That?, Why Watch Birds? and John Gould's Extinct and Endangered Birds of Australia, Sue Taylor will make you want to pack your binoculars and hit the road, as she takes you on a tour of her top 100 Australian birdwatching sites: from suburban parks to remote off-shore islands.

Book cover Birding Australia
by Lloyd Nielson
Birding Australia is a directory offering the most comprehensive and up-to-date snapshot of birds and birding services across Australia. Good birding areas, key species, best time to visit each region, suggested itineraries, regional maps, local birding contacts, birding tours and guides (including pelagic), accommodation and essential information such as climate, travel, driving in the outback, health and safety tips. Birding Australia set the trend when first published in 2002 and continues to do so, offering birders a wealth of relevant information at their fingertips.

Book cover Complete Guide to Finding the Birds of Australia
(2nd Edition)
by Richard and Sarah Thomas, David Andrew and Alan McBride
First published in 1994, The Complete Guide to Finding the Birds of Australia was the first ever book of its type in Australia – a complete guide to locating every resident bird species in Australia, plus supplementary information on where to find rarities, migratory species and logistical information. 

This fully revised second edition expands on the best-selling appeal of the first, describing the best-known sites for all of Australia’s endemic birds, plus vagrants and regular migrants such as seabirds and shorebirds. It covers all states and territories, and is the first guide to include all of Australia’s island and external territories. A comprehensive Bird Finder Guide details site information on all Australian bird species, and the authors provide valuable travel advice, including transport, climate and accommodation. 

Profusely illustrated with colour photographs of interesting, unique or unusual Australian birds, this book is a must-have for all birdwatchers living in Australia or visiting from overseas.

Birding and Natural History Blogs - Australia

Birding Blogs - Worldwide