White-bellied sea eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster

The white bellied sea-eagle is a particularly special bird at Booderee as it is the guardian of the Aboriginal people of Wreck Bay and features on the Booderee National Park logo. This spectacular eagle has a white head, rump and underparts, dark or slate-grey back and wings and an awe-inspiring wingspan of up to 2.2 metres.

Where:
At Booderee you'll often be lucky enough to sight it soaring over the beach and sea or perched high in trees. Jervis Bay is a stronghold for the sea eagle with large numbers of juvenile birds entering the bay during autumn.

Feeding:
The white-bellied sea eagle hunts mainly aquatic animals, grasping fish from the surface of the water. An expert hunter, when fishing on sunny days, it will often fly directly into the sun or at right angles to it to avoid casting shadows over the water and hence alerting potential prey. It will also take birds such as little penguins and shearwaters, as well as small mammals. Look out for it harassing smaller birds, forcing them to drop any food that they are carrying.

Breeding:
Nests are made up of large piles of sticks in trees or sometimes on the ground on Bowen Island. The female carries out most of the incubation of the white eggs, but the male performs this duty from time to time.

Sounds:
A loud gooselike honking.

Masked lapwing Vanellus miles

A long-legged wading bird, the masked lapwing is well-named, and easy to identify, thanks to its brilliant yellow facial wattle which looks just like a mask. It is mainly white below with brown wings and a black cap.

Where:
The masked lapwings love nothing more than spending the day picking through marshes, mudflats, beaches and grasslands. You'll see them in many areas of Booderee including Greenpatch camping and picnic areas.

Feeding:
The masked lapwings are not terribly fussy about who they eat with, or where. You'll see them happily feeding alone, in a pair or a small flock, grabbing insects, larvae and worms.

Breeding:
Nests are a careless structure - a patch of ground scraped clear and sparsely lined with droppings, rocks or twigs. Both sexes incubate the eggs and care for the young birds, who are born with a full covering of down and are able to leave the nest a few hours after hatching. However, the parents vigorously defend the nests, swooping and dive bombing any intruder.

Sounds:
Calls can be a quick 'keer-kik-ki-ki' and they sometimes trill 'krrr' upon landing.

Black-browed albatross Thalassarche melanophris

Named after its distinctive black eyebrows, this nationally vulnerable bird has a white body, black wings and an orange-yellow bill. Despite an impressive wingspan of 240 centimetres, it is one of the smaller albatrosses.

Where:
You'll often see the black-browed albatross from Booderee's cliffs in winter, gliding over the ocean in search of squid and fish. This fascinating bird lives up to 70 years and spends much of its life at sea.

Feeding:
In spite of its size it's an incredibly skillful bird in the air and will seize prey from the surface or dive several metres to catch fish. You may also see it following fishing boats in the hope of collecting discarded fish.

Its large wingspan allows it to follow air currents for long periods of time, soaring on strong winds and resting on the ocean, often in colonies, migrating great distances every year.

Breeding:
The black-browed albatross breeds each year on the cliffs or steep slopes of Antarctic or sub-Antarctic islands such as Macquarie and Heard Islands.

Sounds:
The black browed albatross makes a series of guttural grunting sounds.

Pied oystercatcher Haematopus longirostrus

The pied oystercatcher is easily recognised by its long orange-red bill which grows to between five and eight centimetres. It has slender pink legs and black and white plumage.

Where:
You'll see these oystercatchers foraging in a pair or small group along muddy shorelines such as Bherwerre Beach. They are shy birds and will seldom allow close approach.

Beach users and foxes are among the threats to this bird. It has declined throughout southern Australia and is declared an endangered species in NSW.

Feeding:
Look for these waders using their long, blade-like beak to pry open molluscs or stab beach worms.

Breeding:
Pied oystercatchers breed in pairs, building simple nests in a scrape in the sand, often amongst seaweed, shells and small stones. Both sexes share parenting duties and defending the breeding territory.

Sounds:
They utter a loud 'pita-peep' and can also be heard piping while in flight.

Little penguin Eudyptula minor

Booderee's little penguin - or fairy penguin - provides one of the park's great wildlife experiences. The little penguin is the smallest species of penguin, growing to just 30 centimetres in height. Its head and upperparts are blue-grey and its underparts are white.

Where:
At Murray's Beach an hour before dusk, from September to December, sit back and delight in the magical sight of huge groups of little penguins swimming back to Bowen Island and making their ritual march back to their burrows. There's nothing like it!

Feeding:
Booderee means 'bay of plenty', and unlike populations elsewhere, Booderee's little penguins generally forage in the bays close to shore, probably because the pickings are so rich there is no need to travel kilometres in search of food. From dawn to an hour before dusk, swimming with their flippers and using their tails for guidance, they feed on small fish, squid and other small sea animals captured and swallowed underwater.

After feeding, the little penguins remain offshore in a tight group until dusk, when they come ashore and head to their burrows on Bowen Island.

Here they burrow in Lomandra longifolia tussocks or find shelter under overhanging rocks and dense vegetation.

Breeding:
While the little penguin is found around the southern coasts of Australia, Bowen Island is one of the most successful breeding colonies with around 5,000 breeding pairs.

After a courtship ritual of strutting and calling, these birds mate for life. Both parents help to build the nest which may vary from a thick mat of grass to a few strands, usually collected within a few metres of the burrow entrance.

The parents aggressively defend a small area around the burrow entrance, posturing and calling and sometimes pecking, shoving and slapping other birds with their flippers. Young birds wandering out of their parents' territory will be attacked by other adults.

Both parents incubate the eggs and tend to the young, with the parents alternately foraging and guarding for the first few weeks.

Sounds:
A short, sharp bark when at sea; a variety of throbbing growls and hoarse whoops when attracting a mate; and a sharp, snorting yelp when disturbed.

Australian wood duck Chenonetta jubata

The elegant Australian wood duck is a goose-like grey duck with brown speckles on its chest, a dark brown head, two black stripes along the back and a short bill.

Where:
These wood ducks have become more common with land-clearing along the coast as they prefer open pastures to graze on. At Booderee they are found only around the campgrounds, picnic areas and open areas of the Botanic Gardens where they can find short grass.

Feeding:
Wood ducks eat grasses, clover and other herbs, and occasionally, insects.

Breeding:
The wood ducks line a tree hollow with down and produce seven to 10 eggs. Hatchlings are born with a covering of waterproof down that enables the young to enter the water almost immediately.

Sounds:
The most common call is a loud, rising 'gnow' sound. The male call is shorter and higher than the female. Listen also for staccato chattering when the wood ducks gather in flocks.

Pacific black duck Anas superciliosa

This is the most commonly seen duck on Booderee's lakes and is very easy to identify. Just look for the dazzling, metallic teal-coloured patch on its secondary flight feathers. It is mostly mid-brown in colour, with a distinctive dark brown line through the eye as well as its shiny teal 'mirror'.

Where:
Visit lakes such as Windemere and McKenzie to see these ducks swimming about, feeding on insects, seeds and other vegetation above or below the water surface. You may also see them grazing in flocks near the water's edge.

Feeding:
This duck is mainly vegetarian, feeding on seeds of aquatic plants, supplemented by small crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic insects. Food is obtained by 'dabbling'. Look for the bird plunging its head and neck underwater and upending, raising its rear end vertically out of the water.

Occasionally you'll see it searching for food in damp grassy areas.

Breeding:
The black ducks nest in down-lined tree hollows, grassy cups or reed beds.

Sounds:
The female makes a loud 'quack quack quack' sound while the male has a varied range of calls ranging from a soft 'hiss' to a long 'quack'.

Beautiful firetail Stagonopleura bella

The beautiful firetail is named for its stunning crimson rump peeking from beneath its grey-brown plumage. A small stocky finch, it is about 13 centimetres long, with a black mask and white eye ring, a red beak, and exquisite, fine barring on the feathers.

Where:
The beautiful firetail has been seen around Booderee's swamp and heath areas, such as Blacks Waterhole and Ryans Swamp. However it is one of our rarer birds so please do let us know if you see one!

Feeding:
Beautiful firetails love moist vegetation and make their homes in heath and scrub - never far from water. Usually seen in pairs or small family groups, they mainly eat seeds of the casuarinas and tea trees but will also eat small insects and snails.

Breeding:
The nest of the firetail is shaped like a bottle lying on its side, with a long tunnel leading to a round egg chamber. Both parents build the nest in dense foliage near the ground, lining thin grass stems with feathers and the parents share incubation of the eggs and care of the young fledglings.

Sounds:
Listen for their calls - an undulating 'whee-ee-ee' and a soft 'chrrt'.

New holland honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae

This small, black and white streaked bird with a yellow wing patch is common in the park all year round.

Where:
These honeyeaters are the birds you're most likely to see in the heath areas where grevilleas and banksias grow. They are quite bold and inquisitive and may even occasionally approach you.

Feeding:
The honeyeaters are very active feeders, busily gobbling nectar, fruit, insects and spiders. They may feed alone, but normally gather in large groups.

Breeding:
The honeyeater's nest is usually a small, messy cup of grass and twigs hidden in low and prickly bushes. Both sexes feed the chicks and a pair of adults may raise two or three broods in a year.

Sounds:
This is a noisy bird and its calls have a hissing tone that sounds like 'swist ' or 'sw-swist '

Eastern bristlebird Dasyornis brachypterus

This small, nationally endangered bird, around 21 centimetres long, is grey-brown in colour with a bright red eye, a long tail and strong bristles at the base of the bill.

Where:
You'll find eastern bristlebirds in Booderee's dense coastal heath. Our population of endangered bristlebirds has responded well to our intensive fox control - so much so that they are now among the more commonly observed birds in the heath.

You may see these shy birds near the Cape St George Lighthouse area or running across park roads - you'll rarely see them flying.

You may also see them in other park habitats where there is a dense understorey vegetation.

Feeding:
Eastern bristlebirds feed on a variety of insects and particularly loves ants.

Breeding:
The birds nest in domes of loose grass clumped in grass or heathland, laying two eggs from August to February.

Sounds:
A variety of musical calls, ranging from loud melodic song to a harsh sharp alarm call: 'it-wooa-weet-sip', 'zip' and 'tuck'.

Little wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera

Unlike most wattlebirds this bird lacks the visible wattles hanging from its cheeks. It is about 30 centimetres long, with blue eyes, mostly dark grey-brown above with white streaks, and a paler grey with white streaks below.

Where:
Although not the most colourful of birds themselves, little wattlebirds love colourful flowers so they are easy to find. Look for them amongst banksia and grevilleas in heath thickets. Good places to spot them are on the headland walks and near the Cape St George lighthouse.

Feeding:
Little wattlebirds feed mainly on nectar, probing deep into the flowers with their long brush-tipped tongues. You may also see them perching to grab berries and seeds or occasionally catching insects in mid-air.

Breeding:
Normally the female builds the nest, messily constructed from twigs, grass and down and concealed in a tree fork. She incubates the nest alone, but both sexes care for the young chicks.

Sounds:
Like most wattlebirds, little wattlebirds are quite noisy with a loud 'chock' and a distinctive 'good tackle good tackle' call.

Laughing kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae

Australia's iconic kookaburra has a predominantly white head, white underside with a brown mask, blade-like bill, brown wings with distinctive blue spots and a brown tail with paler brown to white stripes on the tail feathers.

Where:
You'll easily spot or hear kookaburras anywhere there are large trees in Booderee.

Feeding:
The kookaburra uses its strong dagger-like bill to catch a wide variety of prey, including fish, small snakes, lizards, rodents, worms, beetles and other insects. It swoops on its prey from a perch, eating small animals whole but bashing larger animals against the ground or a tree branch. From time to time kookaburras at the park will attempt to join your picnic - please don't feed them as they become dependent on humans for food and then suffer in winter when fewer people are visiting.

Breeding:
Kookaburras usually mate for life. The pair nest in tree hollows and the young of previous clutches assist their parents in rearing their younger brothers and sisters. This kind of cooperative nesting behaviour is quite common in Australian birds.

Sounds:
The kookaburra can be heard at any time of day but most frequently shortly after dawn and from sunset to dusk.

Its characteristic 'laugh' is used to establish territory amongst family groups. One bird starts with a low, hiccuping chuckle, then throws its head back in raucous laughter: often several others join in. The cackle is not really a laugh, but a warning for other birds to stay away.

Crimson rosella Platycercus elegans

This striking Australian native parrot has bright crimson and blue plumage, a pale grey bill and dark brown eye, growing to about 35 centimetres. The youngster has a mix of green and red coloured feathers.

Where:
Crimson rosellas are commonly found in Booderee's woodland areas. You'll often see them in groups foraging along the ground in the tall blackbutt forests around Green Patch. Look out for them also in the evening, roosting on tall trees.

Feeding:
These birds feed mainly on tree seeds - though they also forage for berries, nuts and insects. In autumn and winter, look for youngsters noisily congregating in feeding parties.

Breeding:
Crimson rosellas nest in deep tree hollows high above the ground. The female selects the nesting site and then it is lined by the mating pair who gnaw and shred the hollow with their beaks. The rosella pair guards ownership of the tree, chattering to repel other rosellas and guarding a buffer zone of several trees radius so no bird nests nearby. During the breeding season it is common for rosellas to fly to other nests and destroy the eggs.

Sounds:
The crimson rosella has a range of calls, the commonest being a two-syllabled 'cussik-cussik'. It also has a range of harsh screeches and metallic whistles. Listen for a musical 'psit-a-see'.

Noisy friarbird Philemon corniculatus

It's easy to recognise the noisy friarbird. This knob-billed honeyeater has a distinctive featherless dark grey head and a strong bill with a prominent casque (bump) at the base. It is a conspicuous bird of up to 36 centimetres, grey on top with a whitish underside.

Where:
You'll often see these friarbirds feeding in noisy flocks, sometimes with other honeyeaters such as the red wattlebird. Look for them in forested and heathland areas - the forested sections of the headlands walks are a good place to start. They are mainly seen in small groups, usually up in trees. You may hear these noisy birds before you see them.

Feeding:
The noisy friarbirds spend most of their time feeding on nectar high up in trees, only coming down to the ground occasionally to feed on insects.

Breeding:
The noisy friarbirds form long-term pairs, with both parents defending the nest and surrounds. Often nesting in horizontal tree forks, the female meticulously builds a deep nest, lining it with leaves and wool and incubating the eggs alone. At Booderee the noisy friarbirds tend to nest in forests, with both parents feeding the young.

Sounds:
Many loud, harsh calls which sound like 'four o'clock' and 'p'chok'.

Silvereye Zosterops lateralis

This common small bird has a conspicuous ring of white feathers around the eye. Growing up to only 13 centimetres, it has a green head and wings, with the rest of the body a greyish colour, with grey legs and feet. During winter you may see individuals with reddish sides which are migrants from Tasmania.

Where:
Look for the silvereyes hopping around either singly or in small groups in any areas with trees or heath. In winter you'll see these birds in large flocks. Although they are among Australia's smallest birds, the silvereyes are capable of travelling great distances during migration.

Feeding:
Silvereyes feed on insects, nectar and fruit.

Breeding:
Nests are small, neatly woven cups of grass bound with hair and cobwebs found in low forks of vines or trees. Both sexes construct the nest and incubate the bluish-green eggs. Two to three clutches may be raised in a good season and will be actively defended.

Sounds:
The silvereye has a variety of calls, ranging from a loud 'tsee' to warbling and giggling. Sometimes the call includes mimicry.

Pied currawong Strepera graculina

The pied currawong looks a lot like a black raven, but you can spot the difference by the currawong's bright yellow eyes and white patches on the wings and tail. It is a medium sized bird growing up to 48 centimetres.

Where:
Look for the pied currawongs in flight - they beat their wings in a slow, looping fashion, often folding them in entirely to glide between beats. During winter, they gather in large flocks of up to 100 birds.

You're most likely to see them in forested areas of the park, foraging, nesting or sitting a few metres up in the trees. They are bold birds and can sometimes be caught foraging scraps from picnic spots quite close to people or even watching picnics waiting for food to be forgotten or left behind.

Feeding:
Pied currawongs feed mainly on insects and fruit but will steal eggs and nestlings from other birds - and your food if you leave it lying around.

Breeding:
The nest is a bowl of sticks, lined with grasses and soft material, built by the female high up in a tree fork. The female incubates the eggs, while the male gathers food for her to feed the chicks in the first weeks after hatching.

Sounds:
The pied currawong can be quite vocal, and is noisier early in the morning, in the evening before roosting, and just before it rains. Its call is a 'caddow caddang' sound.

Satin bowerbird Ptilinorhynchus violaceus

The handsome male satin bowerbird is a glossy blue-black while the female is green and brown. It grows up to 35 centimetres and both male and female have bright blue eyes.

Where:
You'll see satin bowerbirds in Booderee foraging on the ground or in trees in any treed or sheltered area.

Feeding:
Satin bowerbirds eat mainly fruits, supplemented by leaves in winter and insects during the summer breeding season.

Breeding:
The male satin bowerbird is famed for his elaborate courtship ritual. During the breeding season, he builds a small avenue of twigs, the 'bower', and decorates it with bright blue coloured objects such as parrot feathers, flowers, bottle tops, wrappers, drinking straws - whatever he can find.

He paints the walls of the bower with a mixture of chewed vegetable matter and saliva and meticulously maintains it throughout the year.

In this courtship arena, the male displays himself to an approaching female, strutting, bowing, calling and mimicking.

If impressed by the ritual, the female moves into the bower avenue for mating and then leaves to perform the nesting duties on her own, while the male readies himself for courting again. The female then builds a small, shallow nest from twigs and leaves in trees and vines.

Sounds:
A wide variety of calls include loud harsh, grinding, and wheezy notes and also a rapid 'tzzar-tzzar-tzzar-tzzar-tzzar-tzzar'.

Tawny frogmouth Podargus strigoides

The tawny frogmouth is a bulky owl-like bird growing to a 53 centimetres. It has silver-grey plumage, slightly paler below, streaked and mottled with black and rufous red, yellow eyes and a wide, heavy olive-grey to blackish bill.

Where:
You'll have to look carefully to see a tawny frogmouth as its heavily streaked feathers give it great camouflage in the trees. During the daytime it spends most of its time sitting statue-like to resemble a branch stump. They can be found in almost any treed area in Booderee.

Feeding:
Tawny frogmouths are night hunters, swooping down from the trees to capture lizards, frogs, insects, worms, slugs, snails and even small mammals.

Breeding:
Look for poorly constructed stick platforms in trees for their nesting sites. Both sexes incubate the eggs, with the male sitting during the day and both sexes sharing sitting at night.

Sounds:
Their beaks make loud clacking sounds and a soft 'oom-oom' call is replaced by a louder 'grr-er' when disturbed.

Powerful owl Ninox strenua

At 60 centimetres on average, this majestic bird is the largest Australian owl and one of the largest owls in the world. It has yellow eyes set in a dark grey-brown facial mask, and is dark grey to dark grey-brown above, with white barring, and off-white below with distinctive brown v-shaped chevrons and feathered legs. It has massive yellow to orange feet with sharp talons.

Where:
Powerful owls are listed as vulnerable in NSW. Look out for them during the day in Booderee, perching silently close to the trunks of large, leafy trees in areas of tall trees.

Feeding:
The powerful owl is a carnivore, hunting at night for larger marsupials such as possums and gliders - you may see one at night with a half eaten possum clutched in its talons.

It forages mainly in trees, swooping down and taking prey with its feet. The powerful owl is capable of virtually eliminating gliders from a patch of forest before moving on to more productive hunting grounds.

Breeding:
Powerful owls mate for life and pairs defend an all-purpose territory year-round.

The male prepares the nest, usually a vertical hollow in a large old tree, and provides the female and young with a constant supply of food during the early part of the nesting period. The breeding pair produces one or two eggs, with the female incubating the eggs and brooding the young, emerging later in the nesting period to hunt for food as well. Young birds remain with the parents for several months and may stay within their parents' territory for over a year.

Sounds:
A loud 'hoo-hooo' which is louder than most other owls.

Boobook owl Ninox novaeseelandiae

Young boobooks are almost entirely white below with conspicuous dark brown facial discs. The adult has dark brown plumage above and rufous-brown below, heavily streaked and spotted with white and it has large yellowish eyes.

Where:
You are most likely to hear rather than see the boobook. If you are camping at Booderee, boobooks can be heard in any of the park's campsite areas. Sometimes known as the mopoke, it is the smallest and most common owl in Australia.

Feeding:
Boobooks feed on insects, other invertebrates and small mammals such as mice. They hunt mainly at night but you may see them searching for food on a dull morning or late afternoon. Look for these owls sitting on a perch, listening and watching - and then flying to seize a moth or a small bat in mid-air or pouncing on ground-dwelling prey.

Breeding:
Like most owls, the boobooks nest in tree hollows. Breeding pairs are known to produce two to three white eggs each season. The female alone incubates the eggs, but both sexes, and sometimes a second female helper, feed the young.

Sounds:
Its common names comes from its night time calls - 'mo-poke' or 'book-book'.