What's so Special about King Island's birds?

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Tasmania is recognised as one of Australia's top five bird watching destinations, with 12 endemic species.  King Island, that sits halfway between the Australian mainland and Tasmania, is home to ten of these endemics, nine of which are King Island endemic sub species as well as one that lives no further south, so is not found in Tasmania anywhere else. Of the subspecies three are identified as Critically Endangered, one as Endangered and one as Vulnerable. We firmly believe King Island is the jewel in Tasmania’s birding crown - and we aim to keep it that way.

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Situated within both international and national migratory flight paths and often acting as a refuge for vagrant species, you can find a wide variety of birds on King Island, from the Bass Strait migrants such as the Orange-bellied Parrot and Satin Flycatcher to pelagic breeding migrants such as the Short-tailed Shearwater and the tiny Fairy Tern. Summer visitors include Ruddy Turnstones and Red-necked Stints on the beaches while the Double-banded Plover escapes from the bitter cold of the New Zealand Southern Alps where they breed to over-winter on the comparatively mild King Island.  

 

King Islands incredible and unique biodiversity and geology has contributed to over 200 bird species being recorded - concentrated on a manageable area of just over 1000 square kilometres. You are able to cover farmland, wetland, pristine beaches, bush and forests easily within a small time frame. 

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It is a beautiful birding spot with many birds to find...