Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 has about 800 species of bird

Bird

Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...

, ranging from the tiny 8 cm Weebill

Weebill

The Weebill is Australia's smallest bird at approximately 9 cm long. It is an olive-yellow songbird with a grey bill, brown wings, pale yellow eyes and grey feet. Its tail feathers are brown with a black bar and white spot on the tip of all inner webs but the central pairs. The sexes are...

 to the huge, flightless Emu

Emu

The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...

.
Many species will immediately seem familiar to visitors from the northern hemisphere - Australian wrens look and act much like northern hemisphere

Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...

 wren

Wren

The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....

s and Australian robins seem to be close relatives of the northern hemisphere robin

European Robin

The European Robin , most commonly known in Anglophone Europe simply as the Robin, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family , but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher...

s, but in fact the majority of Australian passerine

Passerine

A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...

s are descended from the ancestors of the crow

Crow

Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...

 family, and the close resemblance is misleading: the cause is not genetic relatedness but convergent evolution

Convergent evolution

Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...

.

For example, almost any land habitat offers a nice home for a small bird that specialises in finding small insects: the form best fitted to that task is one with long legs for agility and obstacle clearance, moderately-sized wings optimised for quick, short flight, and a large, upright tail for rapid changes of direction. In consequence, the unrelated birds that fill that nests in the Americas

Americas

The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...

 and in Australia look and act as though they are close relatives.

Australian birds which show convergent evolution with Northern hemisphere species:

• honeyeater
  Honeyeater
  The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
  
   (resemble sunbird
  Sunbird
  The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders,...
  
  s)
• sittellas (resemble nuthatch
  Nuthatch
  The nuthatches are a genus, Sitta, of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs...
  
  es)
• Australasian babblers (resemble scimitar babbler
  Scimitar babbler
  The scimitar-babblers are birds in the genera Pomatorhinus, Xiphirhynchus and Jabouilleia of the large Old World babbler family of passerines. These are birds of tropical Asia, with the greatest number of species occurring in hills of the Himalayas.Scimitar-babblers are rangy, medium-sized,...
  
  s)
• Australian robins (resemble Old World chats)
• scrub robins (resemble thrush
  Thrush (bird)
  The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
  
  es)

Kinds of Birds

Australian birds can be classified into six categories:

• Old endemics: long-established non-passerine
  Passerine
  A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
  
  s of ultimately Gondwanan origin, notably emu
  Emu
  The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...
  
  s, cassowaries
  Cassowary
  The cassowaries are ratites, very large flightless birds in the genus Casuarius native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, nearby islands and northeastern Australia. There are three extant species recognized today...
  
   and the huge parrot group
• Corvid radiation: Passerine
  Passerine
  A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
  
  s peculiar to Australasia
  Australasia
  Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
  
  , descended from the corvid
  Crow
  Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
  
   family, and now occupying a vast range of roles and sizes; examples include wrens
  Maluridae
  The Maluridae are a family of small, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. Commonly known as wrens, they are unrelated to the true wrens of the Northern Hemisphere...
  
  , robins
  Petroicidae
  The bird family Petroicidae includes roughly 45 species in about 15 genera. All are endemic to Australasia: New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and numerous Pacific Islands as far east as Samoa. For want of an accurate common name, the family is often called the Australasian robins. Within the...
  
  , magpies
  Australian Magpie
  The Australian Magpie is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. A member of the Artamidae, it is closely related to the butcherbirds...
  
  , thornbills, pardalote
  Pardalote
  Pardalotes or peep-wrens are a family, Pardalotidae, of very small, brightly coloured birds native to Australia, with short tails, strong legs, and stubby blunt beaks. This family is composed of four species in one genus, Pardalotus, and several subspecies. The name derives from a Greek word...
  
  s, the huge honeyeater
  Honeyeater
  The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
  
   family, treecreepers
  Australasian treecreeper
  There are 7 species of Australasian treecreeper in the passerine bird family Climacteridae. They are medium-small, mostly brown birds with patterning on their underparts, and all are endemic to Australia-New Guinea. They resemble, but are not closely related to, the Holarctic treecreepers...
  
  , lyrebird
  Lyrebird
  A Lyrebird is either of two species of ground-dwelling Australian birds, that form the genus, Menura, and the family Menuridae. They are most notable for their superb ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment. Lyrebirds have unique plumes of neutral coloured...
  
  s, birds of paradise and bowerbird
  Bowerbird
  Bowerbirds make up the bird family Ptilonorhynchidae. The family has 20 species in eight genera. These are medium-sized passerines, ranging from the Golden Bowerbird to the Great Bowerbird...
  
  s
• Eurasian colonists: later colonists from Eurasia
  Eurasia
  Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
  
  , including plover
  Plover
  Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. There are about 40 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.Plovers are found throughout...
  
  s, swallows, lark
  Lark
  Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. All species occur in the Old World, and in northern and eastern Australia; only one, the Shore Lark, has spread to North America, where it is called the Horned Lark...
  
  s, thrush
  Thrush (bird)
  The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
  
  es, cisticola
  Cisticola
  Cisticolas are a genus of very small insectivorous birds formerly classified in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, but now usually considered to be in the separate family Cisticolidae, along with other southern warbler genera. They are believed to be quite closely related to the swallows and...
  
  s, sunbird
  Sunbird
  The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders,...
  
  s and some raptor
  Bird of prey
  Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
  
  s
• Recent introductions: birds recently introduced by humans; some, such as the European Goldfinch
  Goldfinch
  Goldfinch may refer to any of the following species of bird from the genus Carduelis:* American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis* European Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis* Lawrence's Goldfinch, Carduelis lawrencei...
  
   and Greenfinch
  Greenfinch
  -Birds:* Black-headed Greenfinch * European Greenfinch * Oriental Greenfinch * Vietnam Greenfinch * Yellow-breasted Greenfinch -Other:...
  
  , appear to coexist with native fauna; others, such as the Common Starling, Blackbird, House
  House Sparrow
  The House Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia...
  
   and Tree Sparrow
  Tree Sparrow
  The Eurasian Tree Sparrow is a passerine bird in the sparrow family with a rich chestnut crown and nape, and a black patch on each pure white cheek. The sexes are similarly plumaged, and young birds are a duller version of the adult...
  
  s, and the Common Myna
  Common Myna
  The Common Myna or Indian Myna also sometimes spelled Mynah, is a member of family Sturnidae native to Asia. An omnivorous open woodland bird with a strong territorial instinct, the Myna has adapted extremely well to urban environments...
  
  , are more destructive
• Migratory shorebirds: a suite of wader
  Wader
  Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
  
  s in the Scolopacidae
  Scolopacidae
  The sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders or shorebirds. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil...
  
   and Charadriidae
  Charadriidae
  The bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 66 species in all.- Morphology :They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings, but most species of lapwing may have more rounded wings...
  
   which breed in northern Asia
  Asia
  Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
  
   and Alaska
  Alaska
  Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
  
   and spend the non-breeding season in Australasia
  Australasia
  Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
  
  
• Seabird
  Seabird
  Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
  
  s: a large and cosmopolitan group of petrel
  Petrel
  Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...
  
  s, albatross
  Albatross
  Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes . They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific...
  
  es, sulid
  Sulidae
  The bird family Sulidae comprises the gannets and boobies. Collectively called sulidas, they are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and similar prey. The ten species in this family are often considered congeneric in older sources, placing all in the genus Sula...
  
  s, gull
  Gull
  Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
  
  s, tern
  Tern
  Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
  
  s and cormorant
  Cormorant
  The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
  
  s, many of which either breed on islands within Australian territory or frequent its coast and territorial waters
  Territorial waters
  Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most from the baseline of a coastal state...
  
  

Regional Lists

For comprehensive regional lists, see:

• Australian Birds, covering Australia and its territories
• Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, the HANZAB
  Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds
  The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, known as HANZAB, is the pre-eminent scientific reference on Birds in the region, which includes Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, and the surrounding ocean and islands...
  
   list for Australia
  Australia
  Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
  
  , New Zealand
  New Zealand
  New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
  
  , Antarctica and the surrounding ocean
  Southern Ocean
  The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
  
   and islands.

For Australia's endemic species, see:

• Endemic birds of Australia
  Endemic birds of Australia
  This article is one of a series providing information about endemism among birds in the world's various zoogeographic zones. For an overview of this subject see Endemism in birds.- Patterns of endemism :Family-level endemism is prominent in Australia...
  
  

Other regional, state and island bird lists:

• New South Wales & Lord Howe Island
• Queensland
• Western Australia
• Tasmania
• Northern Territory
• South Australia

• Ashmore Reef
  Birds of Ashmore Reef
  The Birds of Ashmore Reef comprise three main groups:# Seabirds, including at least five species of breeding terns, with several other seabirds, including petrels, recorded in the surrounding waters...
  
  
• Boigu, Saibai and Dauan Islands
  Birds of Boigu, Saibai and Dauan Islands (Torres Strait)
  The Birds of Boigu, Saibai and Dauan Islands , are of particular interest to Australian birders because the islands are home to, and visited by, birds which are essentially New Guinea species not found, or only occasionally seen as vagrants, elsewhere on Australian territory...
  
  
• Christmas Island
  Birds of Christmas Island
  The Birds of Christmas Island form a heterogeneous group of over 100 species. There is a core group of ten endemics that have evolved on the remote island in the eastern Indian Ocean for thousands of years, attended by a suite of regular migrants, opportunists and occasional visitors...
  
  
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  Fauna of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  The terrestrial fauna of the Cocos Islands is unsurprisingly depauperate, because of the small land area of the islands, their lack of diverse habitats, and their isolation from large land-masses...
  
  
• Heard Island
• Kangaroo Island
• Macquarie Island
  Birds of Macquarie Island
  The Birds of Macquarie Island are, unsurprisingly for an isolated oceanic island, predominantly seabirds. By far the majority of the breeding species are penguins, petrels and albatrosses. However, the bird list includes many vagrants, including passerines, from New Zealand and Australia.Four...
  
  
• Houtman Abrolhos

Organizations

National organizations

• Birds Australia
  Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union
  The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, also known as Birds Australia, was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native bird species of Australia and adjacent regions. This makes it Australia's oldest national birding association. It is also Australia's largest...
  
  , also known as the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, the leading Australian NGO for birds, birding, ornithology
  Ornithology
  Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
  
   and conservation
  Wildlife conservation
  Wildlife conservation is the preservation, protection, or restoration of wildlife and their environment, especially in relation to endangered and vulnerable species. All living non-domesticated animals, even if bred, hatched or born in captivity, are considered wild animals. Wildlife represents all...
  
  
• Australian Bird Study Association
  Australian Bird Study Association
  The Australian Bird Study Association was first formed as the Bird Banders Association in 1962 of a group of people interested in bird-banding and other aspects of field ornithology in Australia....
  
  , for bander
  Bird ringing
  Bird ringing or bird banding is a technique used in the study of wild birds, by attaching a small, individually numbered, metal or plastic tag to their legs or wings, so that various aspects of the bird's life can be studied by the ability to re-find the same individual later...
  
  s and other field ornithologists
• Birding-Aus - an Internet mailing list about Australian birds
• Bird Observation & Conservation Australia (BOCA), a major birdwatcher's organisation with 40 branches and affiliate groups

Australian regional and state organisations

• Australian Capital Territory
  • Birds Australia Southern NSW & ACT
  • Canberra Ornithologists Group
    Canberra Ornithologists Group
    The Canberra Ornithologists Group was founded on 15 April 1970 when the ACT branch of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union became defunct following drastic reform within the RAOU in the late 1960s which abolished all its branches. It publishes a quarterly journal, Canberra Bird Notes, as...
    
    
• New South Wales
  • NSW Bird Atlassers Inc.
  • Birding NSW
    NSW Field Ornithologists Club
    The NSW Field Ornithologists Club , also known as Birding NSW, was founded on 21 July 1970 when activities associated with the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union in New South Wales ceased following drastic reform within the RAOU in the late 1960s which abolished all its branches...
    
    
  • Birds Australia Northern NSW
    Birds Australia Northern NSW
    Birds Australia Northern NSW is a regional group of Birds Australia based in northern New South Wales. BANN was formed in 1987 following a campout by RAOU members at Dorrigo the previous year. Members of Birds Australia resident in the area of coverage are automatically members of the group. A...
    
    
  • Birds Australia Southern NSW & ACT
  • Cumberland Bird Observers Club
• Queensland
  • Birds Australia Capricornia
  • Birds Australia North Queensland
  • Birds Australia Southern Queensland
  • Birds Queensland
    Queensland Ornithological Society Inc
    The Queensland Ornithological Society Inc , also known as Birds Queensland, was founded on 15 October 1969 when the Queensland branch of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union became defunct following drastic reform within the RAOU in the late 1960s. The founding President was J.D. Macdonald...
    
    
• South Australia
  • Birds SA
    South Australian Ornithological Association
    The South Australian Ornithological Association , also known as Birds SA, is an Australian birding organisation based in Adelaide, South Australia. The SAOA publishes a journal, the South Australian Ornithologist as well as the Birds SA Newsletter. It holds regular monthly meetings and conducts...
    
    
• Tasmania
  • Birds Tasmania
• Victoria
  • Birds Australia - Victoria
    Birds Australia - Victoria
    Birds Australia Victoria is the Victorian regional group of Birds Australia.BA-VIC was formed in 1982. Members of Birds Australia resident in Victoria are automatically members of BA-VIC. The quarterly newsletter is Vic Babbler. Activities provided for members include monthly meetings, a...
    
    
• Western Australia
  • Birds Australia Western Australia
    Birds Australia Western Australia
    Birds Australia Western Australia is the Western Australian regional group of Birds Australia. BAWA was formed in 1943 and incorporated in 2001. Members of Birds Australia resident in Western Australia are automatically members of BAWA. BAWA maintains an office, Peregrine House, at Floreat,...
    
    

Regional References and Guides

Important regional references include:

• The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds
  Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds
  The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, known as HANZAB, is the pre-eminent scientific reference on Birds in the region, which includes Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, and the surrounding ocean and islands...
  
  (HANZAB), the pre-eminent scientific reference, in seven volumes.
• The New Atlas of Australian Birds, an extensive detailed survey of Australian bird distributions.
• The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000, Garnett, Stephen T.; & Crowley, Gabriel M., Environment Australia, Canberra, 2000 ISBN 0-642-54683-5, a comprehensive survey of the conservation status of Australian species, with costed conservation and recovery strategies.
• Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds
  Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds
  The Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds is a book first published by Reader’s Digest Services Pty Ltd of Sydney, Australia in 1976 and reprinted several times, with a completely revised edition issued in 1986.-Description:...
  
  was once the standard general reference, but is now somewhat dated. The second edition (1986) remains in print.
• Where to See Birds in Victoria, edited by Tim Dolby (2009), features places in Victoria for seeing birds.

Full-coverage field guides in print are as follows, in rough order of authority:

• Pizzey: Field Guide to the Birds of Australia
  A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia (Pizzey)
  A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia was first published in 1980 by Collins, Sydney. It was authored by Graham Pizzey with illustrations by Roy B. Doyle. The first edition was issued in octavo format, 220 mm in height by 140 mm width, with a foreword by Dr D.L. Serventy...
  
  , Pizzey, G
  Graham Pizzey
  Graham Martin Pizzey AM was a noted Australian author, photographer and ornithologist. He was born and grew up in Melbourne and was educated at Geelong Grammar School. After leaving school he worked in his family's leather business, while studying part-time and publishing articles and...
  
  , Knight, F
  Frank Knight
  Frank Hyneman Knight was an American economist who spent most of his career at the University of Chicago, where he became one of the founders of the Chicago school. Nobel laureates James M. Buchanan, Milton Friedman and George Stigler were all students of Knight at Chicago. Knight supervised...
  
   and Menkhorst, P (ed), 7th edition, 2003 ISBN 9780207198212
• Slater: The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds
  The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds
  The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds is one of the main national bird field guides used by Australian birders.-Description:The guide was first published in 1986 in Sydney by Rigby Publishers and authored by Peter Slater and other members of his family. It is 215 mm high by 113 mm...
  
  , Slater P, Slater P and Slater R, 2009 revised edition
• Simpson and Day: Field Guide to the Birds of Australia
  Field Guide to the Birds of Australia (Simpson & Day)
  The Simpson & Day Field Guide to the Birds of Australia is one of the main national bird field guides used by Australian birders, which over the years has evolved through several revised and updated editions...
  
  , Simpson K and Day N
  Nicolas Day
  Nicolas Day is an Australian wildlife artist, illustrator and teacher.Day was born in Surrey, England, and moved to Australia at the age of ten. Having acquired an early interest in natural history, he worked as a keeper at the Melbourne Zoo before turning to wildlife illustration as a career in...
  
  , 8th edition, 2010; ISBN 0-670-07231-1
• Morcombe: Field Guide to Australian Birds, Morcombe, M, 2nd edition 2003, and complete compact edition 2004
• Flegg: Photographic Field Guide: Birds of Australia, Flegg, J, 2nd edition, 2002
• Trounson: Australian Birds: A Concise Photographic Field Guide, Trounson D
  Donald Trounson
  Alfred Donald Trounson OAM was a British diplomat and amateur photographer who settled in Australia in his retirement to become a bird photographer and the founder of the National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife....
  
   and Trounson M, 2005 reprint
• Cayley: What Bird is That?
  What Bird is That?
  What Bird is That? A Guide to the Birds of Australia is a book first published in 1931 by Angus & Robertson in Sydney. Authored and illustrated by Neville William Cayley, it was Australia’s first fully illustrated national field guide to birds, a function it served alone for nearly 40 years...
  
  , Cayley, N
  Neville William Cayley
  Neville William Cayley was a celebrated Australian author, artist and ornithologist. He produced Australia's first comprehensive bird field guide What Bird is That?...
  
  , 2000 edition

External links

• Australian raptors
• The Birds of Australia: in seven volumes by John Gould - all volumes fully digitised
• Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000 - PDF download
• Where to See Birds in Victoria edited by Tim Dolby.