When you’re residing anywhere in the South Brisbane area, one of the most obvious aspects of life in this region is the numerous different kinds of bird species found calling it home. The fact behind the birds is that since there are numerous kinds of birds throughout the area, bird problems occur quite a bit. South of the River holds plenty of places for birds to roost and nest, making it an ideal spot for them. There are plenty of food sources as well, making this region the perfect place for most of these species. With this in mind, understanding what species of bird you might come across in the Brisbane Southside area is vital to knowing how you’ll be able to cope with certain birds if they do become a problem for you.
One of the primary issues associated with having a bird infestation is that while there are many birds you can exterminate or eradicate from your property, there are some birds that the government protects. It’s safe to say that knowing the differences between the birds inhabiting the Southern Suburbs can come in handy as eradicating a protected bird or hurting one of their nests comes with hefty penalties. Read on to gain a bit of insight relating to the different species of birds you’re likely to come across if you’re living South of the CBD.
Australian King-Parrot
These birds call the entire country of Australia home, making the Australian King-Parrot a bird you’ll likely see. They’re easy to spot as the males and females are quite colourful with the males having red heads and the females having green heads and breasts. With this being said, both of the sexes showcase green backs, tails, and wings and red bellies. Also, if you see one Australian King-Parrot, you’re bound to find more of them nearby as they prefer to live in pairs or families.
Australian Magpie
The Australian Magpie is a popular black and white bird that’s seen throughout South Brisbane. These birds are in possession of white napes, shoulders, and upper tails if they’re males. Females look rather similar but their patterning is grey in colour. Black covers the remainder of their bodies and their eyes are a beautiful shade of chestnut brown. The Australian Magpie lives throughout Australia, including the centre, south-west, and south-east regions. Depending on where you find them, you’ll notice that their butts and backs might be white as well, showcasing that they deviate depending on where you are.
Australian Raven
These black birds are rather noticeable with their white eyes popping amidst the rest of their body. They have long feathers sticking out from their throats each time they call out to each other. While they call, they hold their bodies and heads horizontally as well. The birds are typically found living in pairs and what sets these birds apart from most others is that when they’re calling, they don’t tend to flick their wings out. Younger Australian Ravens tend to sport shorter throat hackles than mature ravens and their eyes are usually darker as well.
Common Koel
Common Koels are found throughout Australia South of the River, meaning you’ll notice them and their glossy black plumage if you’re living in the area. Their plumage also has green and blue tints and their eyes are red, making these birds rather obvious. Females show off their glossy brown bodies with white spots and black crowns. You’ll notice that their undersides are patterned with black bars and a buff-cream background colour. These birds are members of the cuckoo family as well, and with their introverted nature, you’ll usually hear them rather than see them.
Common Myna
Common Mynas are commonly found throughout the South Brisbane region and if you’ve seen them before, you’ll know that they are brown in colour with black heads. Their true beauty is found in the yellow adorning their legs, bill, and eye skin. When the birds fly off, their wings reveal white patches too. These birds are members of the starling family and are typically called the Indian Myna as well. You’ll usually find them living in the urban areas of the Brisbane Southside but they’re originally from Southeast Asia.
Crested Pigeon
Crested Pigeons are the primary source of bird problems found in the Southern Suburbs as these birds tend to make a serious mess and refuse to vacate the places they decide to roost. With this being said, these birds have a thin black crest paired with grey-brown plumage. They’re rather stocky little pigeons and quite stubborn. You’ll notice that amidst their plumage and wings there are bits of glossy green and even some purple patches. These birds are not hard to spot and if you don’t see them, you might hear them whistling overhead because their wings have a feather that makes the noise whenever the air is passing over it.
Crimson Rosella
The Crimson Rosella can be adorned with a variety of different colours but their name comes from their primarily crimson plumage. These birds usually will sport bright blue cheeks paired with backs and wings that are red-edged and black. Looking at their unique flight feathers you’ll see they are edged with broad blue and pale blue on their underside. Throughout the country, there are several populations ranging in colours including white, yellow, and orange. The birds tend to live in the regions with tall eucalypt and moist forests but there are times they’ll turn up South of the River.
Eastern Spinebill
The Eastern Spinebill is not an unfamiliar bird in the South Brisbane area. These birds are rather unique with long down-curving beaks and insanely energetic flight patterns making them some seriously notable birds. As they fly, you’ll notice that they have white outer tail feathers that become visible while they soar through the air. The males sport a grey-black crown that goes down to the sides of their breasts in a black line. Looking at their breasts and throats we see that they are white, contrasting the dark grey that goes down their wings and lower backs. A buff colour dominates their upper body and upper back as well. Comparing them to the females, the females tend to lack the prominence in their markings. Eastern Spinebills are found all throughout the country, from Cooktown to Queensland, making them a rather well-known bird.
Eastern Yellow Robin
These birds tend to be medium in size and have heads and backs that are grey in colour. Looking at their underparts and rumps reveals that they’re also sporting some yellow. This yellow will be different depending on where you see them with a variation of olive-yellow being found in the south and a brighter yellow being found on the Eastern Yellow Robin of the north. These birds also have off-white throats paired with pale off-white wing bars that are noticeable as the birds are flying. Their black bills are found on both males and females and both of these sexes show off similar colouring and plumage. Males tend to be a bit bigger than the females and their offspring start out rufous-brown. The immature Eastern Yellow Robins also have pale streaks found across their plumage. You’ll find these birds residing in the eastern and southeastern regions of mainland Australia but you can also see some of them living in the coastal and adjacent regions too.
Galah
With rose-pink heads, underparts, and necks, the Galah bird stands out amidst most others. Their paler pink crown complements the grey found on their wings, under tails, and backs as well. These birds tend to be distributed in the western region of the country if their plumage is a paler colour. Watching these birds fly reveals an impressive acrobatic flight pattern, although they’re more commonly found relaxing in trees and shrubs away from the heat that comes with the Australian weather. You’ll hear these birds long before you see them as they tend to relax in big noisy flocks. They’re also not uncommon in the area South of the River.
Grey Butcherbird
Grey Butcherbirds have a black crown that is paired with its grey-black face and a thin white collar. Their grey wings and underparts contain some white as well. These birds are sporting a large grey-black bill as well, characterized by the small hook found at the upper bill’s tip. These birds possess dark brown eyes that are paired with dark grey legs and feet as well. Males are usually a bit bigger than the females and these birds are inhabiting the southern area of Australia, including but certainly not limited to northern Western Australia, mid-eastern Queensland, Kimberly, and Northern Territory. With this in mind, the Grey Butcherbird populations vary in each area.
Grey Fantail
Grey Fantails are easily spotted amidst other birds simply by watching the acrobatics found in their flight patterns. With their fanned tail, they’re capable of flying in a way that is spectacular and unique. These birds have grey bodies that are paired with white eyebrows, tail edges, and throats, making them easily identifiable. Finding these birds is usually quite easy as they reside in the trees throughout the South Brisbane area.
House Sparrow
You’ve likely seen House Sparrows in your backyard at one point or another and with these being the biggest finches you’ll find, they’re a rather obvious bunch. These birds tend to live together in medium to big groups. One of the most obvious things about these small birds that they like to be with others of their own kind. Males have grey crowns, dark black and brown upperparts, and black faces and throats. Females are a little paler in colour and lack the black face and grey crown that the males sport. The females also show off a pale buff eye stripe, making them aesthetically different from their male counterparts. You’ll find these little birds in Southside, Sydney, Victoria, Brisbane, and Hobart, making them quite common.
Laughing Kookaburra
Laughing Kookaburras are characterized by their plumage paired with their voice. These birds have an off-white underbelly as well as a bit of dark brown. Their wings are brown too. These birds have tails that are black and barred, but they’re also unique due to the dark brown eye-stripe striking through their faces. You’ll commonly find these birds in the eastern Australia area but you can also find them in Tasmania and sometimes the southwest of Western Australia. Regardless of where you go in the country, if you find great foliage and trees, Laughing Kookaburras might be there.
Little Wattlebird
Little Wattlebirds are actually the smallest wattlebirds found on this planet. With these honey-eating birds, you’ll notice their dark grey-brown colour with a bunch of light white shafts to break away the dark colours. Their underparts are grey with white streaks, allowing this bird a level of beauty that is rather obvious. You’ll also notice the fine streaks of white found along the throats of these birds being paired with a blue-grey eye that pops amidst the dark colours. These birds are found in the southwestern and southeastern regions of Tasmania and Australia, residing throughout the urban parks, gardens, forests, and woodlands of the country. Don’t be surprised if you see Little Wattlebirds flying throughout the South Brisbane area too.
Magpie-lark
These black and white birds have a thin white bill, making the Magpie-lark an easy to spot bird in Australia. The adult males tend to have white eyebrows paired with a black face, allowing the eyebrows to really stand out. Females lack the white eyebrows and tend to have a white face. The Magpie-lark lives all throughout the country, including the Brisbane Southside area. The truth about these birds is they tend to live almost anywhere that is inhabitable except for the dryer desert regions and rainforests. They’re also rather nomadic and reside in large communities, performing seasonal migrations over the course of the year.
New Holland Honeyeater
For those of you who haven’t seen New Holland Honeyeaters, these birds are primarily black and white with just a hint of yellow observable on the sides of their tails and their wings. There is also a little white ear patch on these active birds. The males are a bit bigger than the females and it’s not uncommon to find these birds in woodlands, forests, gardens, and among various other types of honeyeaters.
Noisy Miner
You’re more likely to hear these little birds than see them. The Noisy Miner is a bird that resides within huge colonies. These birds are known for being rather noisy and upon making a noise, the entire colony will repeat it back. They’re primarily grey with just a hint of black found on their cheeks and crowns. With yellow bills, legs, and bare skin, these birds do not go unnoticed. You’ll find them in the woodlands and open forests, but you might see them in gardens and parks South of the River as well.
Pied Currawong
These big black birds are primarily black, sporting bright yellow eyes to contrast. You’ll notice the little white patches of white found just under their tails as well as on the tips and bases of their tail feathers. As they fly away, there is also a little white patch that can be observed along their wing tips. The Pied Currawong is seen throughout the eastern region of Australia, making it a bird that is sometimes seen in the Brisbane Northside area.
Rainbow Lorikeet
Rainbow Lorikeets are beautiful birds adorned with bright red beaks and bright plumage. Regardless of the sex, you’ll see these birds have blue bellies and heads, along with green wings, tails, and backs. Their chests are typically yellowish orange, making them stand out immensely. They’re residing all over the northern and eastern coastal regions of Australia, primarily sticking to the rainforest and woodlands. You might even see them living in some of the urban areas as long as there are trees for them.
Red Wattlebird
Red Wattlebirds are some of the noisiest honeyeaters around. These are big birds that stand out due to the fleshy red wattle found just on their neck side. They have grey-brown plumage adorning their bodies, complemented by white streaks and just a smidge of yellow found on their bellies. Their faces are rather pale and their white-tipped tails are lengthy. They’re found throughout the southern area of Australia, living in the forests, woodlands, and gardens in this region.
Red-browed Finch
Red-browed Finches are little beauties with bright red butts, eyebrows, and beaks. The rest of their body is composed of shades of green and grey, making it quite the sight for any bird lover. They’re typically found in small flocks, eating various grasses. When frightened, these birds will fly straight into the dense undergrowth. With this being said, these birds prefer the creek lines that have plenty of dense vegetation as it makes them feel rather safe.