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Australia Australia Ramsar wetland

Myall Lakes

251 bird species recorded; the most from December to January.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec211at the peak
Species recorded in each month · tap a month

Bianconero918 · CC BY-SA 3.0

This month here

211 species in January.

The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.

Leaden Flycatcher
Leaden FlycatcherMyiagra rubeculaSummer visitorJim Bendon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Lewin's Honeyeater
Lewin's HoneyeaterMeliphaga lewiniiResidentAviceda · CC BY-SA 3.0
Rufous Whistler
Rufous WhistlerPachycephala rufiventrisSummer visitorJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sacred Kingfisher
Sacred KingfisherTodiramphus sanctusSummer visitorJim Bendon from Karratha, Australia · CC BY-SA 2.0
Australasian Figbird
Australasian FigbirdSphecotheres vieillotiSummer visitorAviceda · CC BY-SA 3.0
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Yellow-faced HoneyeaterCaligavis chrysopsResidentJJ Harrison ( https://tiny.jjharrison.com.au/t/WT321jx3uSS2lGF9 ) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Eastern Yellow Robin
Eastern Yellow RobinEopsaltria australisResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kookaburra
KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentKerry Raymond · CC BY 4.0
Scarlet Myzomela
Scarlet MyzomelaMyzomela sanguinolentaResidentJJ Harrison ( https://tiny.jjharrison.com.au/t/MjB99QSME4NWEmcd ) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Australian Owlet-Nightjar
Australian Owlet-NightjarAegotheles cristatusSummer visitorJJ Harrison · CC BY-SA 3.0
Superb Fairy-wren
Superb Fairy-wrenMalurus cyaneusResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Olive-backed Oriole
Olive-backed OrioleOriolus sagittatusSummer visitorDuncan McCaskill · CC BY 3.0
Rufous Fantail
Rufous FantailRhipidura rufifronsSummer visitorGreg Miles from Australia · CC BY-SA 2.0
Australian Pelican
Australian PelicanPelecanus conspicillatusResidentW. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0
Little Wattlebird
Little WattlebirdAnthochaera chrysopteraResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Red-browed Firetail
Red-browed FiretailNeochmia temporalisResidentTatiana Gerus · CC BY 2.0
Welcome Swallow
Welcome SwallowHirundo neoxenaResidentBenjamint444 · CC BY-SA 3.0
White-throated Treecreeper
White-throated TreecreeperCormobates leucophaeaResidentPatrick_K59 · CC BY 2.0
Eastern Spinebill
Eastern SpinebillAcanthorhynchus tenuirostrisResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Needle-tailed Swift
Needle-tailed SwiftHirundapus caudacutusSummer visitorAviceda · CC BY-SA 3.0
Pacific Black Duck
Pacific Black DuckAnas superciliosaResidentStephen Barrell · CC BY 2.0
Australian Magpie
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Eastern Whipbird
Eastern WhipbirdPsophodes olivaceusResidentchujoslaw · CC BY-SA 4.0
Noisy Friarbird
Noisy FriarbirdPhilemon corniculatusResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Resident all year
  • Summer visitor comes to breed
  • Winter visitor comes for the winter
  • Passage migrant in spring and autumn

In numbers

251 species, counted.

69out of 100

Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).

  • 251Speciesrecorded more than once
  • 89Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
  • 2ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
  • 17,161Recordsopen records within 6 km
  • 20Raptors
  • 6Owls
  • 10Waders
  • 15Gulls & seabirds
  • 9Ducks & geese
  • 25Herons, ibises & grebes
  • 1Storks & cranes
  • 105Songbirds
  • 60Other birds

From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.

The checklist

All 251 species.

By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.

Raptors20 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Whistling KiteHaliastur sphenurus
  • White-bellied Sea-EagleHaliaeetus leucogaster
  • Swamp HarrierCircus approximans
  • Wedge-tailed EagleAquila audax
  • Black-shouldered KiteElanus axillaris
  • OspreyPandion haliaetus
  • Brown GoshawkAccipiter fasciatus
  • Brown FalconFalco berigora
  • Square-tailed KiteLophoictinia isura
  • Pacific BazaAviceda subcristata
  • Australian hobbyFalco longipennis
  • Collared SparrowhawkAccipiter cirrocephalus
  • Nankeen KestrelFalco cenchroides
  • Grey GoshawkAccipiter novaehollandiae
  • Black KiteMilvus migrans
  • Spotted HarrierCircus assimilis
  • Brahminy KiteHaliastur indus
  • Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
  • Little EagleHieraaetus morphnoides
  • Letter-winged KiteElanus scriptusNT
Owls6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • MopokeNinox novaeseelandiae
  • Powerful OwlNinox strenua
  • Australian Masked OwlTyto novaehollandiae
  • Eastern Barn OwlTyto javanica
  • Southern BoobookNinox boobook
  • Greater Sooty OwlTyto tenebricosa
Waders10 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Masked LapwingVanellus miles
  • Pied OystercatcherHaematopus longirostris
  • Red-capped PloverCharadrius ruficapillus
  • Sooty OystercatcherHaematopus fuliginosus
  • Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
  • Far Eastern CurlewNumenius madagascariensis
  • Japanese SnipeGallinago hardwickiiNT
  • Gray-tailed TattlerTringa brevipes
  • Red-kneed DotterelErythrogonys cinctus
  • Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
Gulls & seabirds15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Silver GullChroicocephalus novaehollandiae
  • Great Crested-TernThalasseus bergii
  • Australasian GannetMorus serrator
  • Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
  • Wedge-tailed ShearwaterPuffinus pacificus
  • Puffinus tenuirostrisPuffinus tenuirostris
  • Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
  • Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
  • Grey NoddyAnous albivitta
  • Little TernSternula albifrons
  • Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
  • Blue PenguinEudyptula minor
  • ToroaDiomedea exulansVU
  • Flesh-footed ShearwaterPuffinus carneipes
  • Common TernSterna hirundo
Ducks & geese9 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Pacific Black DuckAnas superciliosa
  • Black swanCygnus atratus
  • Maned DuckChenonetta jubata
  • Chestnut TealAnas castanea
  • Musk DuckBiziura lobata
  • HardheadAythya australis
  • Grey TealAnas gracilis
  • Raja ShelduckRadjah radjah
  • MallardAnas platyrhynchos
Herons, ibises & grebes25 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Australian PelicanPelecanus conspicillatus
  • Little Pied CormorantMicrocarbo melanoleucos
  • Little Black CormorantPhalacrocorax sulcirostris
  • Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
  • Pied CormorantPhalacrocorax varius
  • White-faced HeronEgretta novaehollandiae
  • Great White EgretArdea alba
  • Australasian DarterAnhinga novaehollandiae
  • Australian White IbisThreskiornis molucca
  • Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
  • Nankeen Night HeronNycticorax caledonicus
  • Straw-necked IbisThreskiornis spinicollis
  • White-necked HeronArdea pacifica
  • Australasian GrebeTachybaptus novaehollandiae
  • Royal SpoonbillPlatalea regia
  • Ardea modestaArdea modesta
  • Hoary-headed GrebePoliocephalus poliocephalus
  • Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
  • Striated HeronButorides striata
  • Little EgretEgretta garzetta
  • Egretta intermediaEgretta intermedia
  • Yellow-billed SpoonbillPlatalea flavipes
  • Australian Little BitternIxobrychus dubius
  • Black BitternDupetor flavicollis
  • Reef HeronEgretta sacra
Storks & cranes1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Black-necked StorkEphippiorhynchus asiaticus
Songbirds105 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Yellow-faced HoneyeaterCaligavis chrysops
  • Eastern Yellow RobinEopsaltria australis
  • Little WattlebirdAnthochaera chrysoptera
  • Lewin's HoneyeaterMeliphaga lewinii
  • Eastern SpinebillAcanthorhynchus tenuirostris
  • Welcome SwallowHirundo neoxena
  • Superb Fairy-wrenMalurus cyaneus
  • Superb LyrebirdMenura novaehollandiae
  • Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicen
  • Eastern WhipbirdPsophodes olivaceus
  • Red-browed FiretailNeochmia temporalis
  • Noisy FriarbirdPhilemon corniculatus
  • Noisy MinerManorina melanocephala
  • Pied CurrawongStrepera graculina
  • Brown ThornbillAcanthiza pusilla
  • Willie-wagtailRhipidura leucophrys
  • Rhipidura albiscapaRhipidura albiscapa
  • White-throated TreecreeperCormobates leucophaea
  • White-cheeked HoneyeaterPhylidonyris niger
  • Variegated Fairy-wrenMalurus lamberti
  • Scarlet MyzomelaMyzomela sanguinolenta
  • Grey ShrikethrushColluricincla harmonica
  • SilvereyeZosterops lateralis
  • Australian Golden WhistlerPachycephala pectoralis
  • Magpie larkGrallina cyanoleuca
  • Red WattlebirdAnthochaera carunculata
  • Black-faced CuckooshrikeCoracina novaehollandiae
  • Grey ButcherbirdCracticus torquatus
  • Yellow ThornbillAcanthiza nana
  • Rufous WhistlerPachycephala rufiventris
  • White-browed ScrubwrenSericornis frontalis
  • Australian RavenCorvus coronoides
  • Olive-backed OrioleOriolus sagittatus
  • Pied ButcherbirdCracticus nigrogularis
  • Blue-faced HoneyeaterEntomyzon cyanotis
  • Satin BowerbirdPtilonorhynchus violaceus
  • White-naped HoneyeaterMelithreptus lunatus
  • Australasian FigbirdSphecotheres vieilloti
  • Leaden FlycatcherMyiagra rubecula
  • MistletoebirdDicaeum hirundinaceum
  • Grey FantailRhipidura fuliginosa
  • Spotted PardalotePardalotus punctatus
  • Varied SittellaDaphoenositta chrysoptera
  • Dusky WoodswallowArtamus cyanopterus
  • White-throated GerygoneGerygone olivacea
  • Rufous FantailRhipidura rufifrons
  • Striated ThornbillAcanthiza lineata
  • Jacky-winterMicroeca fascinans
  • Brown GerygoneGerygone mouki
  • Forest RavenCorvus tasmanicus
  • New Holland HoneyeaterPhylidonyris novaehollandiae
  • Southern Emu-wrenStipiturus malachurus
  • Black-faced MonarchMonarcha melanopsis
  • Brown-headed HoneyeaterMelithreptus brevirostris
  • Torresian CrowCorvus orru
  • Brown TreecreeperClimacteris picumnus
  • Tree MartinPetrochelidon nigricans
  • Artamus leucorhynchosArtamus leucorhynchos
  • Crested Shrike-titFalcunculus frontatus
  • Regent BowerbirdSericulus chrysocephalus
  • Large-billed ScrubwrenSericornis magnirostra
  • Brown HoneyeaterLichmera indistincta
  • Artamus leucorynArtamus leucoryn
  • White-bellied CuckooshrikeCoracina papuensis
  • Green CatbirdAiluroedus crassirostris
  • Common CicadabirdEdolisoma tenuirostre
  • Corcorax melanoramphosCorcorax melanoramphos
  • Yellow-throated ScrubwrenSericornis citreogularis
  • Spangled DrongoDicrurus bracteatus
  • Australian Reed-WarblerAcrocephalus australis
  • Noisy PittaPitta versicolor
  • Tawny-crowned HoneyeaterGliciphila melanops
  • Australian LogrunnerOrthonyx temminckii
  • Megalurus timoriensisMegalurus timoriensis
  • Striated PardalotePardalotus striatus
  • Rose RobinPetroica rosea
  • Fairy MartinPetrochelidon ariel
  • Spectacled MonarchSymposiachrus trivirgatus
  • Fuscous HoneyeaterPtilotula fusca
  • Restless FlycatcherMyiagra inquieta
  • Little FriarbirdPhilemon citreogularis
  • Common MynaAcridotheres tristis
  • Buff-rumped ThornbillAcanthiza reguloides
  • Clamorous Reed WarblerAcrocephalus stentoreus
  • Golden-headed CisticolaCisticola exilis
  • Satin FlycatcherMyiagra cyanoleuca
  • Australian PipitAnthus australis
  • Yellow-rumped ThornbillAcanthiza chrysorrhoa
  • Australasian PipitAnthus novaeseelandiae
  • Red-browed TreecreeperClimacteris erythrops
  • Australian White-winged TrillerLalage tricolor
  • House SparrowPasser domesticus
  • Rufous SonglarkMegalurus mathewsi
  • White-eared HoneyeaterNesoptilotis leucotis
  • Bassian ThrushZoothera lunulata
  • Double-barred FinchTaeniopygia bichenovii
  • Varied TrillerLalage leucomela
  • Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
  • WeebillSmicrornis brevirostris
  • CicadabirdCoracina tenuirostris
  • Striped HoneyeaterPlectorhyncha lanceolata
  • Sunda Zebra FinchTaeniopygia guttata
  • Black-chinned HoneyeaterMelithreptus gularis
  • Little GrassbirdMegalurus gramineus
  • Black HoneyeaterSugomel niger
Other birds60 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Australian BrushturkeyAlectura lathami
  • KookaburraDacelo novaeguineae
  • Scaly-breasted LorikeetTrichoglossus chlorolepidotus
  • Yellow-tailed Black CockatooZanda funerea
  • Wonga PigeonLeucosarcia melanoleuca
  • Coconut LorikeetTrichoglossus haematodus
  • Eastern RosellaPlatycercus eximius
  • Bar-shouldered DoveGeopelia humeralis
  • Azure KingfisherCeyx azureus
  • Fan-tailed CuckooCacomantis flabelliformis
  • Sacred KingfisherTodiramphus sanctus
  • Australian King ParrotAlisterus scapularis
  • Pheasant CoucalCentropus phasianinus
  • Dusky MoorhenGallinula tenebrosa
  • White-headed PigeonColumba leucomela
  • Turquoise ParrotNeophema pulchella
  • Crested PigeonOcyphaps lophotes
  • GalahEolophus roseicapilla
  • Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
  • CootFulica atra
  • Needle-tailed SwiftHirundapus caudacutus
  • Australian Owlet-NightjarAegotheles cristatus
  • Tawny FrogmouthPodargus strigoides
  • Channel-billed CuckooScythrops novaehollandiae
  • Pacific KoelEudynamys orientalis
  • Shining cuckooChrysococcyx lucidus
  • Brown QuailSynoicus ypsilophorus
  • Oriental DollarbirdEurystomus orientalis
  • White-throated NightjarEurostopodus mystacalis
  • Little LorikeetParvipsitta pusilla
  • Brush BronzewingPhaps elegans
  • Brush CuckooCacomantis variolosus
  • Topknot PigeonLopholaimus antarcticus
  • Brown Cuckoo-doveMacropygia phasianella
  • Sulphur-crested CockatooCacatua galerita
  • Rainbow Bee-eaterMerops ornatus
  • Eastern Spotted DoveSpilopelia chinensis
  • Buff-banded RailGallirallus philippensis
  • Australasian SwamphenPorphyrio melanotus
  • Painted ButtonquailTurnix varius
  • Horsfield's Bronze CuckooChrysococcyx basalis
  • Pallid cuckooCuculus pallidus
  • Common KoelEudynamys scolopaceus
  • Glossy Black-CockatooCalyptorhynchus lathamiVU
  • Pacific Emerald DoveChalcophaps longirostris
  • Common Emerald DoveChalcophaps indica
  • King QuailSynoicus chinensis
  • Wompoo Fruit DovePtilinopus magnificus
  • Pacific SwiftApus pacificus
  • Crimson RosellaPlatycercus elegans
  • Yellow-tailed Black CockatooCalyptorhynchus funereus
  • Common BronzewingPhaps chalcoptera
  • Rock DoveColumba livia
  • Peaceful DoveGeopelia placida
  • Rose-crowned Fruit DovePtilinopus regina
  • Baillon's CrakePorzana pusilla
  • Forest KingfisherTodiramphus macleayii
  • Little CorellaCacatua sanguinea
  • Little LorikeetGlossopsitta pusilla
  • Musk LorikeetGlossopsitta concinna

Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.

When to go

The most species from December to January.

Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.

  1. Jan21126°/22°106 mm
  2. Feb17226°/22°151 mm
  3. Mar13625°/21°147 mm
  4. Apr15323°/19°92 mm
  5. May12320°/16°85 mm
  6. Jun13818°/14°96 mm
  7. Jul13317°/12°62 mm
  8. Aug13718°/13°53 mm
  9. Sep16720°/15°54 mm
  10. Oct18222°/17°78 mm
  11. Nov17723°/18°105 mm
  12. Dec19625°/20°101 mm
  • Bar: species recorded that month.
  • Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
  • Rain: monthly total.

The place

Myall Lakes.

Lakes in New South Wales, Australia

Myall Lakes is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Australia.

251 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 17,161 open records.

The most recorded are the Australian Brushturkey, the Australian Pelican and the Little Pied Cormorant.

74 species come for the summer, 12 for the winter and 3 only pass through.

2 are threatened worldwide, including Glossy Black-Cockatoo and Toroa.

The most species are recorded from December to January.

Myall lakes
Bianconero918 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Get there and watch

Plan the visit

A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.

Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.

From above

The place and its surroundings.

The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.

Myall Lakes seen from above (Sentinel-2)
Seen from above: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 (EOX, CC BY 4.0), 6 × 6 km, north up. Points © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Around, in OpenStreetMap

  • 16campsites within 10 kmShelly Point, Violet Hill Campground, Bungaree Bay Camping Area and 13 more
  • 2places to stay within 10 kmCutlers Cottage, Bombah Point Eco Cottages
  • bird hides within 6 km
  • observation towers within 6 km
  • marked trails within 4 km
  • visitor centres within 6 km
  • viewpoints within 5 km
  • car parks within 3 km
  • restaurants and cafés within 3 km

Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.

In our other atlases

Around Myall Lakes.

The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.

Peakyas38 mountains within 25 km
Violet Hill · 4.4 kmToms Hill · 6.4 kmThe Round Hill · 11 kmStokes Hill · 12 kmYagon Gibber · 13 kmBulahdelah Mountain · 14 kmSeal Rocks · 18 kmWhoota Whoota Hill · 20 km
Coastya5 beaches within 10 km
Johnsons Beach · 4.9 kmFiona Beach · 6.9 kmOne Horse Sands · 7.4 kmMungo Beach · 9.2 kmNeranie Sands · 9.6 km
Lakeyas1 lakes within 15 km
The Broadwater97 km² · 7.8 km

Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.

Photographs

The place, as people saw it.

Star reflections at Myall Lakes National Park
Poidabro · CC BY-SA 4.0
Myall Lakes - panoramio
Rob Freijs · CC BY-SA 3.0
Myall Lakes (detail view) - panoramio
Rob Freijs · CC BY-SA 3.0

Other places nearby.

Myall Lakes

Australia

  • 69Birdyas Score
  • 251Species
  • 89Migrants
  • 2Threatened

Towra Point Nature Reserve

Australia · 205 km

  • 91Birdyas Score
  • 374Species
  • 142Migrants
  • 17Threatened

See the guide

Bundarra-Barraba Important Bird Area

Australia · 266 km

  • 57Birdyas Score
  • 126Species
  • 47Migrants
  • 3Threatened

See the guide

Goonoo Important Bird Area

Australia · 327 km

  • 52Birdyas Score
  • 116Species
  • 36Migrants
  • 2Threatened

See the guide

Where these figures come from

Name and typeWikidata (Q3215861) · CC0
Birds17,161 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
See these recordsgbif.org
SpeciesGBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons
AltitudeCopernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA
Temperature and rainNASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2)
What is around© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL
ImagesEOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons
Sister atlasesPeakyas, Coastya, Lakeyas

Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.

The family

Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?

Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.