Australia Ramsar wetland
Coongie Lakes
151 bird species recorded; the most in June and from August to October.
djambalawa ( talk ) · CC BY 3.0
This month here
28 species in January.47 species in February.29 species in March.56 species in April.95 species in May.109 species in June.92 species in July.110 species in August.102 species in September.109 species in October.14 species in November.56 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
VU
NT
VU
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
151 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 151Speciesrecorded more than once
- 69Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 2ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 4,061Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 13Raptors
- 3Owls
- 19Waders
- 4Gulls & seabirds
- 12Ducks & geese
- 21Herons, ibises & grebes
- 1Storks & cranes
- 50Songbirds
- 28Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 151 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors13 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Whistling KiteHaliastur sphenurus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Wedge-tailed EagleAquila audax
- Nankeen KestrelFalco cenchroides
- Brown FalconFalco berigora
- Little EagleHieraaetus morphnoides
- Black-shouldered KiteElanus axillaris
- Swamp HarrierCircus approximans
- Black-breasted buzzardHamirostra melanosternon
- Black FalconFalco subniger
- Australian hobbyFalco longipennis
- Spotted HarrierCircus assimilis
- Brown GoshawkAccipiter fasciatus
Owls3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Barking BoobookNinox connivens
- Eastern Barn OwlTyto javanica
- Southern BoobookNinox boobook
Waders19 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Masked LapwingVanellus miles
- Australian Red-necked AvocetRecurvirostra novaehollandiae
- Red-kneed DotterelErythrogonys cinctus
- Pied StiltHimantopus leucocephalus
- Black-fronted DotterelElseyornis melanops
- Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataVU
- Red-capped PloverCharadrius ruficapillus
- Japanese SnipeGallinago hardwickiiNT
- Oriental DotterelCharadrius veredus
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Australian PratincoleStiltia isabella
- Banded LapwingVanellus tricolor
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Red-necked StintCalidris ruficollisNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Long-toed StintCalidris subminuta
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
Gulls & seabirds4 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Silver GullChroicocephalus novaehollandiae
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Australian TernGelochelidon macrotarsa
Ducks & geese12 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Grey TealAnas gracilis
- Pacific Black DuckAnas superciliosa
- Pink-eared DuckMalacorhynchus membranaceus
- HardheadAythya australis
- Black swanCygnus atratus
- Maned DuckChenonetta jubata
- Musk DuckBiziura lobata
- Freckled DuckStictonetta naevosa
- Australian ShelduckTadorna tadornoides
- Australasian ShovelerSpatula rhynchotis
- Blue-billed DuckOxyura australis
- Chestnut TealAnas castanea
Herons, ibises & grebes21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Australian PelicanPelecanus conspicillatus
- Yellow-billed SpoonbillPlatalea flavipes
- Australasian DarterAnhinga novaehollandiae
- Royal SpoonbillPlatalea regia
- Pied CormorantPhalacrocorax varius
- White-faced HeronEgretta novaehollandiae
- White-necked HeronArdea pacifica
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Hoary-headed GrebePoliocephalus poliocephalus
- Australian White IbisThreskiornis molucca
- Australasian GrebeTachybaptus novaehollandiae
- Little Black CormorantPhalacrocorax sulcirostris
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Little Pied CormorantMicrocarbo melanoleucos
- Nankeen Night HeronNycticorax caledonicus
- Ardea modestaArdea modesta
- Straw-necked IbisThreskiornis spinicollis
- Egretta intermediaEgretta intermedia
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
Storks & cranes1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- BrolgaGrus rubicunda
Songbirds50 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White-plumed HoneyeaterPtilotula penicillata
- Australian RavenCorvus coronoides
- Magpie larkGrallina cyanoleuca
- Willie-wagtailRhipidura leucophrys
- Yellow-throated MinerManorina flavigula
- Black-faced WoodswallowArtamus cinereus
- Tree MartinPetrochelidon nigricans
- White-winged Fairy-wrenMalurus leucopterus
- Fairy MartinPetrochelidon ariel
- Purple-backed FairywrenMalurus assimilis
- Sunda Zebra FinchTaeniopygia guttata
- Grey ShrikethrushColluricincla harmonica
- Artamus leucorhynchosArtamus leucorhynchos
- Black-faced CuckooshrikeCoracina novaehollandiae
- Spiny-cheeked HoneyeaterAcanthagenys rufogularis
- Rufous SonglarkMegalurus mathewsi
- White-backed SwallowCheramoeca leucosterna
- Chirruping WedgebillPsophodes cristatus
- Little CrowCorvus bennetti
- Australian White-winged TrillerLalage tricolor
- Little GrassbirdMegalurus gramineus
- Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicen
- Australian PipitAnthus australis
- MistletoebirdDicaeum hirundinaceum
- Orange ChatEpthianura aurifrons
- Crimson ChatEpthianura tricolor
- Australian Reed-WarblerAcrocephalus australis
- Artamus leucorynArtamus leucoryn
- Jacky-winterMicroeca fascinans
- Red-capped RobinPetroica goodenovii
- Masked WoodswallowArtamus personatus
- Brown SonglarkMegalurus cruralis
- Brown TreecreeperClimacteris picumnus
- White-browed WoodswallowArtamus superciliosus
- Singing HoneyeaterGavicalis virescens
- Red-browed PardalotePardalotus rubricatus
- Eyrean GrasswrenAmytornis goyderi
- Australasian PipitAnthus novaeseelandiae
- Cinnamon Quail-thrushCinclosoma cinnamomeum
- Restless FlycatcherMyiagra inquieta
- Pied HoneyeaterCerthionyx variegatus
- Banded WhitefaceAphelocephala nigricincta
- Southern WhitefaceAphelocephala leucopsisVU
- GibberbirdAshbyia lovensis
- Singing BushlarkMirafra javanica
- Chestnut-crowned BabblerPomatostomus ruficeps
- Variegated Fairy-wrenMalurus lamberti
- Welcome SwallowHirundo neoxena
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Rufous WhistlerPachycephala rufiventris
Other birds28 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Red-rumped ParrotPsephotus haematonotus
- CootFulica atra
- Little CorellaCacatua sanguinea
- Crested PigeonOcyphaps lophotes
- Black-tailed NativehenGallinula ventralis
- Peaceful DoveGeopelia placida
- GalahEolophus roseicapilla
- Diamond DoveGeopelia cuneata
- Rainbow Bee-eaterMerops ornatus
- BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatus
- Dusky MoorhenGallinula tenebrosa
- Australasian SwamphenPorphyrio melanotus
- Australian Owlet-NightjarAegotheles cristatus
- Australian RingneckBarnardius zonarius
- EmuDromaius novaehollandiae
- Australian CrakePorzana fluminea
- Horsfield's Bronze CuckooChrysococcyx basalis
- CockatielNymphicus hollandicus
- Sacred KingfisherTodiramphus sanctus
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- Red-backed KingfisherTodiramphus pyrrhopygius
- Baillon's CrakePorzana pusilla
- Flock BronzewingPhaps histrionica
- Stubble QuailCoturnix pectoralis
- Buff-banded RailGallirallus philippensis
- Bourke's ParrotNeopsephotus bourkii
- Little Button-quailTurnix velox
- Spinifex PigeonGeophaps plumifera
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in June and from August to October.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan40°/26°21 mm
- Feb38°/24°31 mm
- Mar35°/21°21 mm
- Apr31°/16°5 mm
- May24°/11°7 mm
- Jun20°/7°11 mm
- Jul20°/6°7 mm
- Aug23°/8°3 mm
- Sep28°/12°8 mm
- Oct33°/16°6 mm
- Nov36°/21°16 mm
- Dec39°/24°11 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Coongie Lakes.
Lake
Coongie Lakes is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Australia.
151 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 4,061 open records.
The most recorded are the Grey Teal, the Australian Pelican and the White-plumed Honeyeater.
23 species come for the summer, 44 for the winter and 2 only pass through.
2 are threatened worldwide, including Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Southern Whiteface.
The most species are recorded in June and from August to October.
Get there and watch
- Coongie Lakes Campgroundcampsite · 5.4 km · 2 within 10 km
- Birdsville Airport (BVI)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 162 km in a straight lineCar hire at BHQ airport (Broken Hill)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 2campsites within 10 kmCoongie Lakes Campground
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
- viewpoints within 5 km
- car parks within 3 km
- restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- places to stay within 10 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Coongie Lakes.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas10 mountains within 25 kmKertiecoocha Hill · 5.2 kmUntoowarrie Hill · 8.4 kmPonjanie Hill · 14 kmWaltatella Hill · 16 kmMount MacDonnell · 19 kmPondeana Hill · 20 kmMitchina Hill · 21 kmKoondiekoondina Hill · 25 km
Lakeyas5 lakes within 15 kmLake Marroocutchanie5.1 km² · 4.3 kmCoongie Lake12 km² · 4.4 kmLake Toontoowaranie14 km² · 6.6 kmLake Apachirie2.4 km² · 6.8 kmAtakoornoo0.4 km² · 9.4 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Other places nearby.
Coongie Lakes
Australia
- 61Birdyas Score
- 151Species
- 69Migrants
- 2Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q1129766) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 4,061 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Lakeyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
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Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit