Birding in New South Wales
With diverse ecological habitats, New South Wales contains temperate rainforests on the east coast and Dividing Range, and drier eucalypt woodlands to semi-arid lands in the west. There are a number of areas where there is a cross-over of dry land birds and moist climate birds, making for excellent birding – and long lists!
The rare Rockwarbler is NSW’s only endemic bird, while other specialties include Superb Lyrebird, the endangered Regent Honeyeater, Superb Fairy-wren, Barking and Powerful Owls, and Bush Stone-curlew. Further north, and close to the coast are Australian Logrunner, Regent Bowerbird and Eastern Bristlebird, and woodland regions can produce Crested Bellbird, Hall’s Babbler and Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush. There are plenty of options for self-guided and guided birding and nature tours here.
Full Day Sydney Birding Tour (West)
Our Blue Mountains birdwatching day trip from Sydney combines the best of city-edge wetlands with classic escarpment scenery. We leave central Sydney early, heading towards Bicentennial Park, a top site for wetland birding close to the CBD. Boardwalks and hides give close views over lagoons, saltmarsh and mangroves while your ornithologist guide helps you pin down key field marks and calls. After covering the wetlands we head west, climbing into the World-Heritage-listed Blue Mountains for morning tea amid towering eucalypts. Eastern Grey Kangaroos are often grazing close by, and the forest rings with parrots and cockatoos. Short walks between Kings Tableland, the Three Sisters and Govetts Leap combine sweeping canyon vistas, waterfalls and productive forest-heath edges where many bird species occur. We aim to be back in the city by early evening with a strong day list and memory cards full of mountain scenery.
Birding Highlights
Sydney Olympic Park – Waterbirds such as Chestnut Teal, Australian Swamphen, Australian Grebe, Royal Spoonbill, Pied Stilt.
Euroka Clearing – Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Laughing Kookaburra, Eastern Yellow Robin, Satin Bowerbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.
Kings Tableland – White-throated Treecreeper, New Holland Honeyeater, Red Wattlebird, Beautiful Firetail.
The Three Sisters – King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Pied Currawong.
Govetts Leap – Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Red-browed Finch, Eastern Spinebill.
Important Information
Private tour – departs any day, subject to availability of birding guide.
Tour Code: BS1SB
To add this tour to your itinerary enquiry, please include the tour code.
Important Information
Private tour – departs any day, subject to availability of birding guide.
Tour Code: BS1RP
To add this tour to your itinerary enquiry, please include the tour code.
Full Day Birding Tour Sydney (South)
Our Royal National Park birdwatching day trip south of the city covers a broad sweep of habitats and species. Depart central Sydney with your ornithologist guide and begin with an introduction to Australian birds in Centennial Park, one of the city’s most reliable locations for waterfowl, corellas and small woodland birds. From here we drive south to Royal National Park – the world’s second-oldest national park – renowned for its mix of subtropical rainforest, wet eucalypt forest, grassy woodland, coastal heath and tidal flats, all within a compact circuit. This habitat diversity makes the park a premium birding destination and, with expert guiding and impressive sandstone scenery, the day regularly produces a long and varied species list.
Birding Highlights
Centennial Park – Tawny Frogmouth, Superb Fairy-wren, Little and Long-billed Corellas, close views of water-birds including Australian Pelican and Black Swan.
Lady Carrington Drive, Royal NP – Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Crimson Rosella, Laughing Kookaburra, Satin Bowerbird, Superb Lyrebird, Green Catbird, Yellow-throated and White-browed Scrub-wrens, Azure Kingfisher, Eastern Spinebill, Variegated Fairy-wren.
Mt Bass, Royal NP – Heathland birds such as Tawny-crowned and New Holland Honeyeaters, Little Wattlebird, Beautiful Firetail, Red-browed Finch, Southern Emu-wren.
Bundeena, Royal NP – Eastern Rosella, Nankeen Night-heron, Australian White Ibis, White-faced Heron, Silver Gull, Crested Tern.
2-Day Sydney & Blue Mountains Birdwatching Tour
Day1: Depart your Sydney city hotel with your specialist birding guide and head towards Sydney Olympic Park. A guided walk through Bicentennial Park’s wetlands and saltmarsh sets the tone for the trip before we continue west, making productive stops at Mitchell Park, Scheyville and Pitt Town in the Hawkesbury lowlands. By mid-afternoon we climb into the World-Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, birding the mid-range forests en route to our overnight base in the village of Leura.
Day 2: After breakfast we explore a range of mountain habitats, starting with Kings Tableland where heathland and swamp support species such as Beautiful Firetail and White-throated Treecreeper. Further lookout and forest stops - including the Three Sisters and Govetts Leap - add opportunities for parrots, cockatoos and raptors against a backdrop of sandstone cliffs, waterfalls and deep valleys. We arrive back in Sydney late afternoon.
Birding Highlights
Sydney Olympic Park – Waterbirds such as Chestnut Teal, Australian Swamphen, Australian Grebe, Royal Spoonbill, Pied Stilt.
Euroka Clearing – Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Laughing Kookaburra, Eastern Yellow Robin, Satin Bowerbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.
Kings Tableland – White-throated Treecreeper, New Holland Honeyeater, Red Wattlebird, Beautiful Firetail.
The Three Sisters – King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Pied Currawong.
Govetts Leap – Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Red-browed Finch, Eastern Spinebill.
Important Information
Private tour – departs any day, subject to availability of birding guide.
To add this tour to your itinerary enquiry, please include the tour code.
Tour Code: BS1BM2
4-Day Capertee Valley & Blue Mountains Private Birding Tour - from Sydney
A four-day private birding tour linking the World-Heritage Blue Mountains with the renowned Capertee Valley – an inland woodland Important Bird Area that supports the largest known breeding population of the endangered Regent Honeyeater and over 230 recorded species. Travelling round-trip from Sydney with an expert ornithologist guide, you’ll explore rainforest gullies, eucalypt woodland, rocky heath and river flats, seeking montane highlights such as Superb Lyrebird, Rockwarbler and Gang-gang Cockatoo alongside inland specialities including Red-capped Robin, Painted Honeyeater and Diamond Firetail. Two nights in the Capertee Valley maximise dawn and dusk birding; the final night is spent in the mountain village of Leura before returning to Sydney.
Day 1 – Sydney to Capertee Valley via Katoomba
Depart the city with your private birding guide and head through Katoomba into the World-Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, then continue north-west to the vast sandstone amphitheatre of the Capertee Valley. Broad river flats, remnant box–ironbark woodland and scattered farmland support more than 235 recorded species, including 18 that are threatened in New South Wales. Late-afternoon birding around Glen Alice and Glen Davis may turn up Red-rumped Parrot, Brown Treecreeper, Diamond Firetail, Fuscous and White-plumed Honeyeaters, Jacky Winter and, if you are very lucky, the endangered Regent Honeyeater.
Overnight Capertee Valley.
Day 2 – Full day in Capertee Valley
Spend the day exploring a series of woodland tracks and lookout points. Capertee is the closest site to Sydney for many inland specialists, including Southern Whiteface, Red-capped Robin, White-browed Babbler, White-backed Swallow, Painted Honeyeater and Plum-headed Finch. In summer months, we may find Rufous Songlark, Rainbow Bee-eater, White-winged Triller and large mixed flocks of woodswallows. Raptors are likely to feature, with 17 species recorded. Wedge-tailed and Little Eagles are regular, while sightings of Square-tailed Kite, Spotted Harrier or Black Falcon are always on the cards.
Overnight Capertee Valley.
Day 3 – Capertee Valley to Blue Mountains
A final morning of birding for any remaining targets before returning to the central Blue Mountains. Here a patchwork of wet sclerophyll forest, rainforest gullies and heath makes for excellent variety. Here we can find colourful parrots and abundant honeyeaters alongside such specialties as Gang-gang Cockatoo, Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Pilotbird, Flame or Scarlet Robin and the locally endemic Rockwarbler. Settle in overnight at the mountain village of Leura.
Overnight Leura.
Day 4 – Blue Mountains to Sydney
A final morning in the mountains allows time for more birding and a visit to classic look-outs such as Govetts Leap or Echo Point, before returning to Sydney in the afternoon.
Important Information
Private tour – departs any day, subject to availability of birding guide.
To add this tour to your itinerary enquiry, please include the tour code.
Tour Code: BS4CB
5 Day Hawkesbury Valley, Capertee Valley & Blue Mountains Private Birding Tour - from Sydney
A five-day private birding circuit linking three of Greater Sydney’s standout hotspots: the wetland-rich Hawkesbury Valley, the woodland strongholds of the Capertee Valley Important Bird Area, and the montane forests, heath and cliff-tops of the World-Heritage Blue Mountains. Travelling with an expert ornithologist guide, you’ll explore mangrove boardwalks for shorebirds, scan flood-plain lagoons for raptors and wildfowl, spend two full days on Capertee’s private tracks in search of the endangered Regent Honeyeater and other inland specials, then finish among lyrebirds, Rockwarblers, parrots and sweeping sandstone vistas around Katoomba. Comfortable motel stays overlook the Hawkesbury River (1 night), sit within the Capertee Valley (2 nights) and crown the upper Blue Mountains (1 night), maximising dawn and dusk birding in every zone before returning to Sydney on day five.
Day 1 – Sydney to Hawkesbury Valley
Depart Sydney with your private birding guide and make an immediate stop at Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. Boardwalks thread through mangroves, saltmarsh and lagoons where Chestnut and Grey Teal, Royal Spoonbill, Striated Heron, Yellow Thornbill and Brown Honeyeater are regular, alongside Superb Fairy-wren flitting through the paperbarks. After a thorough circuit we continue west to the Hawkesbury flood-plain. Open water and rich pasture here support herons, egrets, spoonbills and a good spread of raptors - look for Swamp Harrier, Whistling and Square-tailed Kites - plus grassland specials such as Golden-headed Cisticola and Chestnut-rumped Mannikin.
Overnight in a motel overlooking the Hawkesbury River.
Day 2 – Hawkesbury to Capertee Valley
We depart the Hawkesbury area and travel up the "Bell's Line of Road" across the Blue Mountains to windswept heathland for Tawny-crowned, White-eared Honeyeaters and the tree ferns and temperate rainforest for Rufous Fantail, Rose Robin, Yellow-throated Scrubwren. Lunch at Mt Wilson, then descend into the Capertee Valley - officially the world’s widest canyon - for late-afternoon birding.
Overnight Capertee Valley.
Day 3 – Capertee Valley
A full day exploring valley tracks and private properties. Target birds include Diamond Firetail, Little Lorikeet, Turquoise Parrot, Red-rumped Parrot, Plum-headed, Zebra and Double-barred Finches, Hooded Robin, White-browed Babbler, plus Painted, Black-chinned and Striped Honeyeaters. Summer can add Rufous Whistler, White-winged Triller, Rufous Songlark, Rainbow Bee-eater and flocks of Dusky and White-browed Woodswallows. Our prime focus is the endangered Regent Honeyeater, which is increasingly difficult to find. Kangaroos, wombats, Eastern Bearded Dragons and Lace Monitors are often encountered. In the afternoon we'll sit beside a waterhole to watch the many honeyeaters, finches and parrots coming to drink.
Overnight Capertee Valley.
Day 4 – Capertee Valley to Katoomba
After breakfast, we’ll drive to Lake Wallace near Lithgow to look for Musk Duck and other wetland species. A visit to the Lithgow sewage ponds might add Blue-billed and Pink-eared Ducks, Australian Shoveler and Hoary-headed Grebe. Then, we’ll continue to the upper Blue Mountains for escarpment, forest and heathland birding: Superb Lyrebird, Rockwarbler, Yellow-tailed, Glossy Black and Gang-gang Cockatoos, Red-browed Treecreeper, Pilotbird, Beautiful Firetail, Flame and Scarlet Robins are all possible. Optional after-dinner spotlight for Greater Glider and nocturnal birds such as Southern Boobook or Sooty Owl.
Overnight Katoomba or Leura.
Day 5 – Katoomba to Sydney
Before breakfast we'll walk out to the famous Three Sisters rock formation and look for the charming Rockwarbler, endemic to the Sydney region. Then sample nearby rainforest gullies, eucalypt woodland and heath to collect any remaining Blue Mountains specialities before descending to lower elevations and returning to Sydney mid-afternoon.
Important Information
Private tour – departs any day, subject to availability of birding guide.
To add this tour to your itinerary enquiry, please include the tour code.
Tour Code: BS5HC
Half Day Byron Bay Birding Tour
This 6-hour private birding tour explores the wetlands and rainforest habitats around Byron Bay, offering the chance to observe 20+ species in a single outing. With a mix of open water, forest edge, and lush understorey, the area supports an impressive diversity of birdlife.
Possible sightings include Australian Brushturkey, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Osprey, Rainbow Bee-eater, Noisy Pitta, Topknot Pigeon, Wonga Pigeon, Variegated Fairy-wren, Australasian Figbird, Scarlet Honeyeater, and Eastern Whipbird, among many others. More than 50 species are regularly recorded on this route, from colourful parrots and cockatoos to waterbirds, raptors, and rainforest specialists.
Important Information
Private tour – departs any day, subject to availability of birding guide.
To add this tour to your itinerary enquiry, please include the tour code.
Tour Code: BBBHD
Birding in other States & Territories of Australia
Top End
Birding
Comb Crested Jacana
Victoria
Birding
Buff-Banded Rail
Central Australia
Birding
Spinifex Pigeon
Western Australia
Birding
Red-capped Parrot
South Australia
Birding
Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo
Queensland
Birding
Scarlet Honeyeater
Tasmania
Birding
Hooded Plover
