SYDNEY: A BIRDING DESTINATION FOR EVERYONE
Sydney is the capital of the state of New South Wales and Australia’s largest city. With diverse habitats, around Sydney you’ll find temperate rainforests, the spectacularly scenic Blue Mountains, freshwater and coastal wetlands, and drier eucalypt woodlands. In some areas, birds of the dry interior cross-over with moister climate birds, making for excellent birding – and long lists! The rare Rock-warbler is locally endemic bird, and other specialties include Superb Lyrebird, the endangered Regent Honeyeater, Superb Fairy-wren, Barking and Powerful Owls, Turquoise Parrot and Bush Stone-curlew. Further north, and close to the coast are Logrunner, Regent Bowerbird and Eastern Bristlebird, and woodland regions can produce a huge variety of parrots and honeyeaters.
“Come birding with us! We have a team of experienced guides who are happy to take you out birding for a morning, a day or even longer.”
OUR EXPERT LOCAL GUIDES
SAMPLE SYDNEY BIRDWATCHING ITINERARIES
Itinerary #1: Full-Day Best of Sydney Birdwatching
Depart Sydney city, cross the spectacular Sydney Harbour Bridge and onto Olympic Park/ Bicentennial Park with its important wetland ecosystem offering access to wetlands, saltmarsh and bird hides. Our ornithologist leader will offer a broad range of birding as we explore this rich area. Continue west and climb into the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains National Park. Enjoy morning tea deep in the Australian bush.
Within the Blue Mountains, see wild kangaroos up close as well as excellent views of amazing parrots and cockatoos. The tour combines spectacular waterfalls and lookouts over breathtaking canyons with superb birdwatching opportunities. Many forest and heathland species will be found in this rich area. The day will also include the famous Blue Mountains icon – the Three Sisters. Return to Sydney with life time memories of spectacular birdwatching and Blue Mountains scenery.
Birding Highlights:
Superb Lyrebird, Chestnut and Grey Teal, Purple Swamphen, Dusky Moorhen, Black-winged Stilt, Kookaburra, Australian Raven, Eastern Yellow Robin, Australian Magpie, Satin Bowerbird, White-throated Treecreeper, New Holland Honeyeater, Red Wattlebird, Beautiful Firetail, King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Pied Currawong, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Red-browed Finch, Eastern Spinebill.
Itinerary #2: Full-Day Royal National Park
A full day tour that includes four of Sydney’s best sites and incorporates subtropical, warm temperate and coastal rainforest, wet eucalypt forests, grassy woodlands, heathlands and freshwater and saltwater wetlands. Depart from central Sydney with your ornithologist leader and receive an introduction to Australian birds in Centennial Park. Continue to the Royal National Park which is the world’s second oldest national park – after Yellowstone in the USA. Regarded as a premium birding location, the Park offers excellent opportunities to view a wide variety of bird species in a range of habitats, from rainforest to heathland. With expert guiding and spectacular scenery, this is a very special day which should produce a good list of interesting species.
Birding Highlights:
Green Figbird, Gang-gang Cockatoo, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Tawny Frogmouth, Superb Fairy-wren, close views of water-birds including Australian Pelican and Black Swan, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Crimson Rosella, Kookaburra, Satin Bowerbird, Superb Lyrebird, Yellow-throated and White-browed Scrub-wrens, Azure Kingfisher, Eastern Spinebill, Variegated Fairy-wren, Tawny-crowned and New Holland Honeyeaters, Brush Wattlebird, Beautiful Firetail, Southern Emu-wren, Eastern Rosella, Nankeen Night-heron, Australian White Ibis, White-faced Heron, Silver Gull, Crested Tern, Osprey
Itinerary #3: 2-Day Sydney & Blue Mountains Birdwatching Tour
Day1: Depart your Sydney city hotel with your expert birding guide this morning. After crossing the spectacular Sydney Harbour Bridge, see Sydney Olympic Park and visit Bicentennial Park for a guided walk. Enjoy frequent birding stops including prolific birding areas at Mitchell Park, Scheyville and Pitt Town. Climb into the Blue Mountains and travel through the Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park. We will do some birding in the mid-range level of the Blue Mountains before checking into our overnight accommodation in the delightful village of Leura.
Day 2: After breakfast depart Leura with your birding guide to visit a variety of habitats including Kings Tableland, with its heathlands and swamps supporting a number of uncommon and regionally significant species such as the Beautiful Firetail amongst the 155 species of birds recorded there. The day will provide superb birding opportunities as well as spectacular scenery of canyons, waterfalls and intriguing land forms – including the iconic Three Sisters. Return to Sydney later afternoon.
Birding Highlights:
Other 2 to 5-day tour options available, please contact us!
Tour Cost: Please enquire about availability and costs as this tour generally operates on a private basis, from one person, to many.
Our team at sydneybirding.com is part of the Bellbird Tours network of birding guides. We have local birding guides who are experts in various locations across Australia including Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth among others.
