Birds
More than 270 species of birds have been recorded in the Lake Argyle area including many rare or unusual species that can be relatively easy to find here.
Some of the more sought after species include:
Gouldian Finch – can be seen regularly in and around the Caravan Park
Yellow Chat – inhabits the floodplains on the southern and eastern sides of the lake – birdwatching charters can be arranged on request.
Purple Crowned Fairy Wren – found in the riverine forests at the southern end of the lake.
Mongolian Plover (September to January) – a regular migrant
Long Toed Stint (September to January) - a regular migrant
Sandstone Shrike Thrush – easily seen on the sandstone cliffs on the islands
White Quilled Rock Pigeon – often seen around the caravan park and easily seen on the bushwalks.
Please contact us for further details if you wish to visit Lake Argyle with the intention of finding any particular species. Our local birding expert will let you know how, when and where you are most likely to find your bird!
If you have any ideas or information that you think may be interesting for us to add, please contact us at birds@lakeargyle.com.
View or Print the complete list of Lake Argyle birds.
'Lake Argyle Birds'
| Common Names | Scientific Name |
| Avocet, Red-necked | Recurvirostra novaehollandiae |
| Babbler, Grey-crowned | Pomatostomus temporalis |
| Baza, Pacific | Aviceda subcristata |
| Bee-eater, Rainbow | Merops ornatus |
| Bittern, Black | Ixobrychus flavicollis |
| Bittern, Little | Ixobrychus minutus |
| Bittern, Yellow | Ixobrychus sinensis |
| Black-Cockatoo, Red-Tailed | Calyptorhynchus banksii |
| Boobook, Southern | Ninox novaeseelandiae |
| Bowerbird, Great | Chlamydera nuchalis |
| Brolga | Grus rubicunda |
| Bronze-Cuckoo, Horsfield's | Chrysococcyx basalis |
| Bronze-Cuckoo, Little | Chrysococcyx minutillus |
| Bronze-Cuckoo, Shining | Chrysococcyx lucidus |
| Bronzewing, Brush | Phaps elegans |
| Bronzewing, Common | Phaps chalcoptera |
| Bronzewing, Flock | Phaps histrionica |
| Budgerigar | Melopsittacus undulatus |
| Bush-hen | Amaurornis olivaceus |
| Bushlark, Singing | Mirafra javanica |
| Bustard, Australian | Ardeotis australis |
| Butcherbird, Pied | Cracticus nigrogularis |
| Button-quail, Buff-breasted | Turnix olivii |
| Button-quail, Chestnut-backed | Turnix castanota |
| Button-quail, Little | Turnix velox |
| Button-quail, Painted | Turnix varia |
| Button-quail, Red-backed | Turnix maculosa |
| Button-quail, Red-chested | Turnix pyrrhothorax |
| Buzzard, Black-breasted | Hamirostra melanosternon |
| Chat, Yellow | Ephthianura crocea |
| Cisticola, Golden-headed | Cisticola exilis |
| Cisticola, Zitting | Cisticola juncidis |
| Cockatiel | Nymphicus hollandicus |
| Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested | Cacatua galerita |
| Coot, Eurasian | Fulica atra |
| Corella, Little | Cacatua sanguinea |
| Corella, Long-billed | Cacatua tenuirostris |
| Cormorant, Great | Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Cormorant, Little Black | Phalacrocorax sulcirostris |
| Cormorant, Little Pied | Phalacrocorax melanoleucos |
| Cormorant, Pied | Phalacrocorax varius |
| Coucal, Pheasant | Centropus phasianinus |
| Crake, Australian Spotted | Porzana fluminea |
| Crake, Baillon's | Porzana pusilla |
| Crake, Spotless | Porzana tabuensis |
| Crake, White-browed | Porzana cinerea |
| Crane, Sarus | Grus antigone |
| Crow, Little | Corvus bennetti |
| Crow, Torresian | Corvus orru |
| Cuckoo, Brush | Cacomantis variolosus |
| Cuckoo, Channel-billed | Scythrops novaehollandiae |
| Cuckoo, Oriental | Cuculus saturatus |
| Cuckoo, Pallid | Cuculus pallidus |
| Cuckoo-shrike, Barred | Coracina lineata |
| Cuckoo-shrike, Black-faced | Coracina novaehollandiae |
| Cuckoo-shrike, White-bellied | Coracina papuensis |
| Curlew, Little | Numenius minutus |
| Darter | Anhinga melanogaster |
| Dollarbird | Eurystomus orientalis |
| Dotterel, Black-fronted | Elseyornis melanops |
| Dotterel, Red-kneed | Erythrogonys cinctus |
| Dove, Bar-shouldered | Geopelia humeralis |
| Dove, Diamond | Geopelia cuneata |
| Dove, Emerald | Chalcophaps indica |
| Dove, Peaceful | Geopelia striata |
| Dowitcher, Asian | Limnodromus semipalmatus |
| Drongo, Spangled | Dicrurus bracteatus |
| Duck, Australian Wood | Chenonetta jubata |
| Duck, Freckled | Stictonetta naevosa |
| Duck, Pacific Black | Anas superciliosa |
| Duck, Pink-eared | Malacorhynchus membranaceus |
| Eagle, Wedge-tailed | Aquila audax |
| Egret, Cattle | Ardea ibis |
| Egret, Great | Ardea alba |
| Egret, Intermediate | Ardea intermedia |
| Egret, Little | Egretta garzetta |
| Emu | Dromaius novaehollandiae |
| Fairy-wren, Purple-crowned | Malurus coronatus |
| Fairy-wren, Red-backed | Malurus melanocephalus |
| Fairy-wren, Variegated | Malurus lamberti |
| Falcon, Black | Falco subniger |
| Falcon, Brown | Falco berigora |
| Falcon, Grey | Falco hypoleucos |
| Falcon, Peregrine | Falco peregrinus |
| Fantail, Grey | Rhipidura fuliginosa |
| Fantail, Mangrove Grey | Rhipidura phasiana |
| Fantail, Northern | Rhipidura rufiventris |
| Fantail, Rufous | Rhipidura rufifrons |
| Finch, Crimson | Neochmia phaeton |
| Finch, Double-barred | Taeniopygia bichenovii |
| Finch, Gouldian | Erythrura gouldiae |
| Finch, Long-tailed | Poephila acuticauda |
| Finch, Masked | Poephila personata |
| Finch, Painted | Emblema pictum |
| Finch, Star | Neochmia ruficauda |
| Finch, Zebra | Taeniopygia guttata |
| Firetail, Beautiful | Stagonopleura bella |
| Firetail, Diamond | Stagonopleura guttata |
| Firetail, Red-eared | Stagonopleura oculata |
| Flycatcher, Leaden | Myiagra rubecula |
| Flycatcher, Lemon-bellied | Microeca flavigaster |
| Flycatcher, Restless | Myiagra inquieta |
| Friarbird, Helmeted | Philemon buceroides |
| Friarbird, Little | Philemon citreogularis |
| Friarbird, Noisy | Philemon corniculatus |
| Friarbird, Silver-crowned | Philemon argenticeps |
| Frogmouth, Tawny | Podargus strigoides |
| Galah | Cacatua roseicapilla |
| Garganey | Anas querquedula |
| Godwit, Bar-tailed | Limosa lapponica |
| Godwit, Black-tailed | Limosa limosa |
| Goose, Magpie | Anseranas semipalmata |
| Goshawk, Brown | Accipiter fasciatus |
| Goshawk, Grey | Accipiter novaehollandiae |
| Goshawk, Red | Erythrotriorchis radiatus |
| Grebe, Australasian | Tachybaptus novaehollandiae |
| Grebe, Great Crested | Podiceps cristatus |
| Grebe, Hoary-headed | Poliocephalus poliocephalus |
| Greenshank, Common | Tringa nebularia |
| Gull, Silver | Larus novaehollandiae |
| Hardhead | Aythya australis |
| Harrier, Spotted | Circus assimilis |
| Harrier, Swamp | Circus approximans |
| Heron, Great-billed | Ardea sumatrana |
| Heron, Nankeen Night | Nycticorax caledonicus |
| Heron, Pied | Ardea picata |
| Heron, Striated | Butorides striatus |
| Heron, White-faced | Egretta novaehollandiae |
| Heron, White-necked | Ardea pacifica |
| Hobby, Australian | Falco longipennis |
| Honeyeater, Banded | Certhionyx pectoralis |
| Honeyeater, Bar-breasted | Ramsayornis fasciatus |
| Honeyeater, Black-chinned | Melithreptus gularis |
| Honeyeater, Blue-faced | Entomyzon cyanotis |
| Honeyeater, Brown | Lichmera indistincta |
| Honeyeater, Green-backed | Glycichaera fallax |
| Honeyeater, Grey-fronted | Lichenostomus plumulus |
| Honeyeater, Rufous-banded | Conopophila albogularis |
| Honeyeater, Rufous-throated | Conopophila rufogularis |
| Honeyeater, White-cheeked | Phylidonyris nigra |
| Honeyeater, White-fronted | Phylidonyris albifrons |
| Honeyeater, White-gaped | Lichenostomus unicolor |
| Honeyeater, Yellow-tinted | Lichenostomus flavescens |
| Ibis, Australian White | Threskiornis molucca |
| Ibis, Glossy | Plegadis falcinellus |
| Ibis, Straw-necked | Threskiornis spinicollis |
| Jacana, Comb-crested | Irediparra gallinacea |
| Kestrel, Nankeen | Falco cenchroides |
| Kingfisher, Azure | Alcedo azurea |
| Kingfisher, Red-backed | Todiramphus pyrrhopygia |
| Kingfisher, Sacred | Todiramphus sanctus |
| Kite, Black | Milvus migrans |
| Kite, Black-shouldered | Elanus axillaris |
| Kite, Brahminy | Haliastur indus |
| Kite, Letter-winged | Elanus scriptus |
| Kite, Square-tailed | Lophoictinia isura |
| Kite, Whistling | Haliastur sphenurus |
| Koel, Common | Eudynamys scolopacea |
| Kookaburra, Blue-winged | Dacelo leachii |
| Lapwing, Masked | Vanellus miles |
| Lorikeet, Little | Glossopsitta pusilla |
| Lorikeet, Rainbow | Trichoglossus haematodus |
| Magpie, Australian | Gymnorhina tibicen |
| Magpie-lark | Grallina cyanoleuca |
| Mannikin, Chestnut-breasted | Lonchura castaneothorax |
| Mannikin, Pictorella | Heteromunia pectoralis |
| Mannikin, Yellow-rumped | Lonchura flaviprymna |
| Martin, Fairy | Hirundo ariel |
| Martin, Tree | Hirundo nigricans |
| Miner, Noisy | Manorina melanocephala |
| Miner, Yellow-throated | Manorina flavigula |
| Mistletoebird | Dicaeum hirundinaceum |
| Native-hen, Black-tailed | Gallinula ventralis |
| Nightjar, Spotted | Eurostopodus argus |
| Oriole, Olive-backed | Oriolus sagittatus |
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus |
| Owl, Barking | Ninox connivens |
| Owl, Barn | Tyto alba |
| Owl, Rufous | Ninox rufa |
| Owlet-nightjar, Australian | Aegotheles cristatus |
| Pardalote, Red-browed | Pardalotus rubricatus |
| Pardalote, Striated | Pardalotus striatus |
| Parrot, Red-winged | Aprosmictus erythropterus |
| Pelican, Australian | Pelecanus conspicillatus |
| Pigeon, Crested | Ocyphaps lophotes |
| Pigeon, Spinifex | Geophaps plumifera |
| Pigeon, Squatter | Geophaps scripta |
| Pipit, Richard's | Anthus novaeseelandiae |
| Plover, Hooded | Thinornis rubricollis |
| Plover, Oriental | Charadrius veredus |
| Plover, Pacific Golden | Pluvialis fulva |
| Plover, Red-capped | Charadrius ruficapillus |
| Pratincole, Australian | Stiltia isabella |
| Pratincole, Oriental | Glareola maldivarum |
| Pygmy-goose, Green | Nettapus pulchellus |
| Teal, Grey | Anas gracilis |
| Tern, Caspian | Sterna caspia |
| Tern, Whiskered | Chlidonias hybridus |
| Tern, White-winged Black | Chlidonias leucopterus |
| Treecreeper, Black-tailed | Climacteris melanura |
| Triller, Varied | Lalage leucomela |
| Triller, White-winged | Lalage sueurii |
| Turnstone, Ruddy | Arenaria interpres |
| Wagtail, Citrine | Motacilla citreola |
| Wagtail, Willie | Rhipidura leucophrys |
| Wagtail, Yellow | Motacilla flava |
| Weebill | Smicrornis brevirostris |
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus |
| Whistler, Rufous | Pachycephala rufiventris |
| Whistling-Duck, Plumed | Dendrocygna eytoni |
| Whistling-Duck, Wandering | Dendrocygna arcuata |
| Woodswallow, Black-faced | Artamus cinereus |
| Woodswallow, Little | Artamus minor |
| Woodswallow, White-breasted | Artamus leucorynchus |
