This page is designed to provide some basic information on some of the more regularly seen birds of the Blue Mountains. The people of the Blue Mountains are very fortunate, as a wide selection of birds reside in this World heritage area.
 
Birds of the Blue Mountains inhabit a variety of plant communities through out the year, but a change in seasons also sees the arrival of new birds to the Mountains. New Holland Honeyeaters follow the flowering of both bush land and the manicured gardens.

(New Holland Honeyeaters)

In autumn the banksias are alive with a beautiful array of musical birds. Colourful robins appear on the ridges in winter, having spent summer in the cooler Valleys.
Bird watching in the Blue Mountains is possible all year round.

Settlement in the Blue Mountains has had both positive and negative effects. Many birds have flourished as a result of the different types of food such planting of nectar producing trees.

Others, particularly the ground feeders have suffered as a result of bush land clearance and the predation of cats and other feral animals.

Satin bower Bird

When the mating season arrives the male bower bird constructs a distinctive U shaped bower from twigs in the middle of some large dry grass. In the front of the bower he makes a sort of garden and adorns the outside of it with feathers, leaves, flowers, snail shells and blue objects. If the collection of objects impresses the female then “marriage” takes place. Immediately after, the female commences building a nest in a tree where she will eventually lay her eggs.
The male continues to maintain his bower and waits for visits by other females.

                                  (female Satin bower bird)

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

These are an extremely large bird which is commonly seen on the introduced pine trees of the upper Blue Mountains. They are attracted by the abundance of pine cones. They also love to perch on these tree tops where they give a sad, plaintive cry. You will often see them using their beak to move around the branches as if it was a third hand. They also eat the seeds of banksias and mountain devils which are easily torn apart by their powerful beak. When these birds are in flight it seems as if they are in slow motion. They generally hang out as a family.

The Laughing Cookaburra

The laughing kookaburra is commonly seen in the Blue Mountains. The famous call of the Kookaburra has made it one of the best known Australian birds.

There are two species of Kookaburra. They are the Laughing Kookaburras and the Blue-winged Kookaburra (not found in the Blue Mountains). They are both related to the Kingfishers of the world.

Although the kookaburra is  a kingfisher(largest ijn the world), he will drown if he gets too many of his feathers wet whilst trying to catch prey in or near water. Instead he eats small animals including the nestlings of other birds.The are also known to be formidable snake killers.Kookaburras live in family groups and have well developed social systems.

The Pied Currawong

Pied Currawong are probably the most frequently seen bird in the Blue Mountains. They have adapted to living in both the towns and forest. The birds are omnivorous but mainly eat grubs, insects and fruit. Their calls reverberate through the Mountains in autumn and winter when they form huge flocks.

Australian Magpie

These birds live in a family group are a little smaller than the Pied Currawong. They are best known for their aerial attacks on unwary humans during breeding season.

Lyre Bird

The Lyre bird is a ground dwelling bird often seen found in the temperate rainforests of the Blue Mountains. The Lyre bird is well named as it has a tail in the shape of an inverted antique lyre, but without the strings. It is also commonly seen in the tall wooded forests of the Blue Mountains scratching through the leaf litter looking for grubs and seeds.

Not only is the Lyre bird a beautiful bird, but he sings gloriously. He is also capable of imitating any bird songs that he hears in the forest, as well as unnatural sound made by man. Sometimes he seems to sing just to amuse himself. At other times he gives a presentation of his talents of singing to attract the female.
 The Lyre bird is the symbol of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and also features in the “Legend of the Three Sisters” see (Blue Mountains info- Aboriginals)

Sulphur crested Cockatoo

This is a large white cockatoo with a yellow crest. It has not always been a permanent resident of the Blue Mountains. It has probably come hear because of the good water supply and the planting of new varieties of tree like the radiata pine. It is predominately a ground feeder. When startled they make a loud raucous screech.

Galah

This is a small pink and grey cockatoo and like their Sulphur Crested relative they live in flocks and separate in pairs during the breeding season. In the Blue Mountains they feed on seeds, grasses and plant bulbs which it digs up with its beak. The Galah was very popular among the early settlers who made it into parrot pie. The best place to see them in the Blue Mountains is feeding on the grass seeds in parklands.

Crimson Rosella

The Crimson Rosella is one of the most seen birds in the Blue Mountains.It was also one of the first Australian birds Captain Cook described in his journal.  This bird does not start its life with its rich colouring, its young having green plumage until their third year.  It often becomes a tame visitor to back gardens and public places such as Echo Point and  Scenic-World where it is encouraged to visit the area by staff feeding them various seeds in bird feeding stations. In their natural setting these birds would normally eat the seeds of Eucalyptus and Wattle. The males and females are identical in size and colour.

Eastern Rosella

The Eastern Rosella is very closely related to the Crimson Rosella, but, slightly more fragile in appearance. When in full plume this bird would have to be one of the most beautiful birds in the world. They eat fruit and seeds which they have no trouble tearing apart with their sharp beaks. The best place to spot these birds in the Blue Mountains is at Euroka Clearing (Glenbrook) and at the bottom of the Megalong Valley. You will not find this bird in the upper Blue Mountains such as Katoomba and Wentworth Falls. His relative, the crimson Rosella copes better in cold climates.

Gang- gang

The seeds of the forest Eucalyptus and Acacia make up most of the diet of the Gang-Gang Cockatoo. They are often seen feeding together in berry laden trees. When breaking open the harder seeds they hold the pods in their claws, noisily cracking them open with their powerful beaks. When birdwatchers go in search of the Gang-Gang they often hear the birds noisily eating before spotting it. Like the yellow tailed Black Cockatoo, they make a lot of mess underneath them whilst feeding.

King Parrot

The King Parrot is so brightly coloured , it can hardly be missed.
Like the Crimson Rosella it is one of the most commonly seen birds in the Blue Mountains. It seems to prefer the rainforest environment more than most other colourful birds in the Blue Mountains where it will often be seen flying quickly past as it manoeuvres through the trees with great skill. Its call is a very high shrill.