Overview

This page lists bird species found only within a single Australian state or territory. By nature, such a list is complex because the boundaries that define "species", "location" and "being found within" are often not clearly defined or agreed upon. Nevertheless, for many species the boundaries are clear and these are listed here. Boundary cases may be included with additional information.

Species

These lists are primarily concerned with species level endemics. For example, the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle is considered a subspecies of the Wedge-tailed Eagle. Although the Tasmanian subspecies is endemic to Tasmania, it is not included in this list. (Future updates to this list may extend to describe subspecies-level endemics). In many cases, subspecies - and even species - level distinctions are not agreed upon by all authorities. When this is relevant to a particular entry on this list, notes are included. Common names presented here follow the Birdlife Australia taxonomy.

Locations

Fortunately, the state and territory boundaries for Australia are clearly defined. Nevertheless, some locations - such as Lord Howe Island, which is a part of New South Wales - are so geographically remote from the main area of the state or territory that they are typically considered separately. Such locations are included in this list as sub-sections of the state or territory to which they belong.

Endemism

A species is endemic to a region when its natural distribution occurs only within that region. In general, regions may be defined geographically - such as an island or mountain range - or arbitrarily, such as a state border. This page lists Australian birds that are endemic to a single state or territory within Australia. Australia has other birds that are endemic to Australia - only found within Australia - but are found in two or more states or territories.

Distribution

Species may be considered native to an area when they occur naturally in that area. Some species are artificially introduced into new areas. If a bird is naturally endemic to a state or territory, but has been introduced to an area outside that territory and now persists there, it is listed here with a note that it may be readily seen in those areas into which it has been introduced. Individuals of a bird species may sometimes unexpectedly appear at vast distances from their natural distribution. For example, a non-migratory European land bird such as the Yellow Wagtail has been seen in the Australian state of Victoria. Such appearances are termed "vagrant". If any Australian endemic has appeared as a vagrant outside its native state or territory, the species will still be listed here and the vagrant appearance will be noted. Other bird species are known to migrate away from their breeding grounds. Birds that breed wholly within an Australian state or territory but migrate outside of that state or territory are excluded from the list. This list focuses on those birds for which, in order to see them, you must generally visit the given state or territory.

Distribution maps

All distribution maps on this page were generated using the eBird Species Map Explorer tool (which embeds Google Maps) in Jan 2019. This tool aggregates sightings data contributed by citizen and professional scientists.

Large-scale maps report the percentage of bird observation checklists submitted that include a sighting of the given species using a colour scale as follows:

Small-scale maps report locations where the species was observed using stickpins: red = observed during the month prior to map creation; blue = observed more than 1 month prior to map creation; large = formal "hotspot" location for birdwatching; small = ad-hoc sighting reported, as follows:

Stickpins may represent an area rather than a point. For example, a stickpin within the boundary of a National Park may represent the whole national park and not just the point where the stickpin appears. As such, particularly for the island maps, the stick pins should serve more as a guide than as a definitive indication of where the birds are distributed.

The maps do not include scales but the boundary of each state, territory or island is visible. When viewing this page with a desktop web browser you can click on the maps for an enlarged view.

Australian Capital Territory - ACT

Nil.

Jervis Bay Territory - JBT

Nil.

New South Wales - NSW

(Mainland) New South Wales has 1 endemic species.

Lord Howe Island is part of New South Wales and its endemics are listed separately below.

Lord Howe Island

Lord Howe Island is part of New South Wales but its endemic species are listed separately here.

The following birds, formerly endemic, are listed as extinct: Robust White-eye (Zosterops strenuus); Lord Howe Gerygone (Gerygone insularis); Lord Howe Parakeet (Cyanoramphus subflavescens); Lord Howe Swamphen (Porphyrio albus).

Northern Territory - NT

Northern Territory has 6 endemic species.

Queensland - Qld

Queensland has 23 endemic species.

Distribution Map	Common Name	Scientific Name	Notes	References
	Atherton Scrubwren	Sericornis keri
	Australian Swiftlet	Aerodramus terraereginae	Rare vagrant to NSW - 2 records. Two sub-species sometimes regarded as separate species: A. t. terraereginae (Australian Swiftlet) and A. t. chillagoensis (Chillagoe Swiftlet) - each of which would be endemic to Queensland.
	Bower's Shrike-thrush	Colluricincla boweri
	Bridled Honeyeater	Lichenostomus frenatus
	Buff-breasted Button-quail	Turnix olivii
	Chowchilla	Orthonyx spaldingii
	Eungella Honeyeater	Lichenostomus hindwoodi
	Fernwren	Oreoscopus gutturalis
	Frill-necked Monarch	Arses lorealis
	Golden Bowerbird	Amblyornis newtonianus
	Golden-shouldered Parrot	Psephotus chrysopterygius
	Grey-headed Robin	Heteromyias cinereifrons
	Kalkadoon Grasswren	Amytornis ballarae
	Lovely Fairy-wren	Malurus amabilis
	Macleay's Honeyeater	Xanthotis macleayanus
	Mountain Thornbill	Acanthiza katherina
	Pied Monarch	Arses kaupi
	Tooth-billed Bowerbird	Scenopoeetes dentirostris	Also called Tooth-billed Catbird.
	Victoria's Riflebird	Ptiloris victoriae
	White-browed Robin	Poecilodryas superciliosa
	White-streaked Honeyeater	Trichodere cockerelli
	Yellow Honeyeater	Lichenostomus flavus
	Yellow-spotted Honeyeater	Meliphaga notata

The following birds are endemic to Queensland at subspecies level: Lesser Sooty Owl (Sooty Owl - Lesser, Tyto tenebricosa multipunctata).

South Australia - SA

South Australia has 2 endemic species.

Tasmania - Tas

Tasmania has 12 endemic species.

Macquarie Island is part of Tasmania and its endemics are listed separately below.

Distribution Maps	Common Name	Scientific Name	Notes	References
	Black Currawong	Strepera fuliginosa
	Black-headed Honeyeater	Melithreptus affinis
	Dusky Robin	Melanodryas vittata
	Forty-spotted Pardalote	Pardalotus quadragintus
	Green Rosella	Platycercus caledonicus
	Scrubtit	Canthornis magna
	Strong-billed Honeyeater	Melithreptus validirostris
	Tasmanian Native-hen	Tribonyx mortierii
	Tasmanian Scrubwren	Sericornis humilis
	Tasmanian Thornbill	Acanthiza ewingii
	Yellow Wattlebird	Anthochaera paradoxa
	Yellow-throated Honeyeater	Lichenostomus flavicollis

Macquarie Island

Macquarie Island is part of Tasmania but its endemic species are listed separately here.

Victoria - Vic

Nil.

Western Australia - WA

Western Australia has 17 endemic species.

The following birds are endemic to Western Australia at subspecies level: Black-throated Whipbird (Western Whipbird - Black-throated, Psophodes nigrogularis nigrogularis/oberon); Western Fieldwren (Rufous Fieldwren - Western, Calamanthus campestris montanellus); Western Ground Parrot (Ground Parrot - Western, Pezoporus wallicus flaviventris).

External territories

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Nil.

Australian Antarctic Territory

Nil.

Although 10 species of bird breed in the AAT, all can be found in other regions of Antarctica.

Christmas Island

The following birds are endemic to Christmas Island at subspecies level: Christmas Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus natalis).

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Nil, but see "Christmas White-eye" under Christmas Island also.

Coral Sea Islands

Nil.

Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Norfolk Island

The following birds, formerly endemic, are listed as extinct: Norfolk Kaka (Nestor productus).