Australia Ramsar wetland
Mud Island
196 bird species recorded; the most from January to February.
Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data), CC BY 4.0, with relief shading from Copernicus WorldDEM-30
This month here
133 species in January.138 species in February.112 species in March.99 species in April.102 species in May.79 species in June.94 species in July.112 species in August.91 species in September.82 species in October.82 species in November.124 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
VU
NT
NT
VU
NT
VUNTVU
VUNT
NTVUNT
VUVUNTNTVUNTVU
NTNTVUVU
VUNT
NT
NTNTVUNTNT
NTVUNTVUVUNTNTNTVUNT
NTNTVUVUNTNT
VUNTVUNTNTVUNTVUVUNTVUVUVUNTNTVU- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
196 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).
- 196Speciesrecorded more than once
- 64Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 10ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 19,471Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 12Raptors
- 2Owls
- 35Waders
- 29Gulls & seabirds
- 8Ducks & geese
- 20Herons, ibises & grebes
- 61Songbirds
- 29Other 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 196 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors12 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Swamp HarrierCircus approximans
- Whistling KiteHaliastur sphenurus
- White-bellied Sea-EagleHaliaeetus leucogaster
- Brown FalconFalco berigora
- Nankeen KestrelFalco cenchroides
- Black-shouldered KiteElanus axillaris
- Brown GoshawkAccipiter fasciatus
- Little EagleHieraaetus morphnoides
- Australian hobbyFalco longipennis
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Black FalconFalco subniger
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
Owls2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Southern BoobookNinox boobook
- Eastern Barn OwlTyto javanica
Waders35 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Pied OystercatcherHaematopus longirostris
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Red-necked StintCalidris ruficollisNT
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataVU
- Red-capped PloverCharadrius ruficapillus
- Great KnotCalidris tenuirostris
- Sooty OystercatcherHaematopus fuliginosus
- Masked LapwingVanellus miles
- Pacific Golden PloverPluvialis fulva
- Double-banded PloverCharadrius bicinctusNT
- Gray-tailed TattlerTringa brevipes
- Far Eastern CurlewNumenius madagascariensis
- Charadrius mongolusCharadrius mongolus
- Greater Sand PloverCharadrius leschenaultii
- Hooded DotterelThinornis cucullatusNT
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Banded StiltCladorhynchus leucocephalus
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Pied StiltHimantopus leucocephalus
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
- Japanese SnipeGallinago hardwickiiNT
- Banded LapwingVanellus tricolor
- Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaVU
- Black-fronted DotterelElseyornis melanops
- Red-kneed DotterelErythrogonys cinctus
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
Gulls & seabirds29 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Silver GullChroicocephalus novaehollandiae
- Great Crested-TernThalasseus bergii
- Australasian GannetMorus serrator
- Pacific GullLarus pacificus
- Fairy TernSternula nereisVU
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- White-faced storm petrelPelagodroma marina
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Blue PenguinEudyptula minor
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Puffinus tenuirostrisPuffinus tenuirostris
- Southern Black-backed GullLarus dominicanus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Fluttering ShearwaterPuffinus gavia
- Shy albatrossThalassarche cautaNT
- Black-browed AlbatrossThalassarche melanophris
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
- White-fronted TernSterna striataNT
- Cape GannetMorus capensis
- Antarctic Giant-PetrelMacronectes giganteus
- Brown SkuaStercorarius antarcticus
- Common Diving-PetrelPelecanoides urinatrix
- Chatham AlbatrossThalassarche eremitaVU
- Thin-billed prionPachyptila belcheri
- Fairy PrionPachyptila turtur
- Antarctic PrionPachyptila desolata
- Pintado PetrelDaption capense
- ToroaDiomedea exulansVU
Ducks & geese8 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black swanCygnus atratus
- Chestnut TealAnas castanea
- Australian ShelduckTadorna tadornoides
- Grey TealAnas gracilis
- Pacific Black DuckAnas superciliosa
- Musk DuckBiziura lobata
- Cape Barren GooseCereopsis novaehollandiae
- Australasian ShovelerSpatula rhynchotis
Herons, ibises & grebes20 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Pied CormorantPhalacrocorax varius
- Australian PelicanPelecanus conspicillatus
- Little Pied CormorantMicrocarbo melanoleucos
- Black-faced CormorantPhalacrocorax fuscescens
- Australian White IbisThreskiornis molucca
- White-faced HeronEgretta novaehollandiae
- Straw-necked IbisThreskiornis spinicollis
- Royal SpoonbillPlatalea regia
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Little Black CormorantPhalacrocorax sulcirostris
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Hoary-headed GrebePoliocephalus poliocephalus
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Ardea modestaArdea modesta
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Yellow-billed SpoonbillPlatalea flavipes
- White-necked HeronArdea pacifica
- Australasian GrebeTachybaptus novaehollandiae
- Australasian DarterAnhinga novaehollandiae
- Nankeen Night HeronNycticorax caledonicus
Songbirds61 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Welcome SwallowHirundo neoxena
- Little GrassbirdMegalurus gramineus
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- White-fronted ChatEpthianura albifrons
- Golden-headed CisticolaCisticola exilis
- SilvereyeZosterops lateralis
- Striated FieldwrenCalamanthus fuliginosus
- Little RavenCorvus mellori
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicen
- Superb Fairy-wrenMalurus cyaneus
- Rhipidura albiscapaRhipidura albiscapa
- Red WattlebirdAnthochaera carunculata
- Willie-wagtailRhipidura leucophrys
- Brown ThornbillAcanthiza pusilla
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- White-browed ScrubwrenSericornis frontalis
- Magpie larkGrallina cyanoleuca
- Australasian PipitAnthus novaeseelandiae
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Flame RobinPetroica phoenicea
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Spiny-cheeked HoneyeaterAcanthagenys rufogularis
- Singing HoneyeaterGavicalis virescens
- Australian PipitAnthus australis
- New Holland HoneyeaterPhylidonyris novaehollandiae
- Yellow-rumped ThornbillAcanthiza chrysorrhoa
- MistletoebirdDicaeum hirundinaceum
- Common MynaAcridotheres tristis
- Grey ButcherbirdCracticus torquatus
- Australian Reed-WarblerAcrocephalus australis
- Australian Golden WhistlerPachycephala pectoralis
- Tree MartinPetrochelidon nigricans
- Grey ShrikethrushColluricincla harmonica
- White-plumed HoneyeaterPtilotula penicillata
- Yellow-faced HoneyeaterCaligavis chrysops
- Little WattlebirdAnthochaera chrysoptera
- Eastern Yellow RobinEopsaltria australis
- Red-browed FiretailNeochmia temporalis
- Noisy MinerManorina melanocephala
- Fairy MartinPetrochelidon ariel
- Eastern SpinebillAcanthorhynchus tenuirostris
- Spotted PardalotePardalotus punctatus
- Scarlet RobinPetroica boodang
- Australian RavenCorvus coronoides
- Black-faced CuckooshrikeCoracina novaehollandiae
- Striated ThornbillAcanthiza lineata
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Rufous WhistlerPachycephala rufiventris
- White-eared HoneyeaterNesoptilotis leucotis
- Crescent HoneyeaterPhylidonyris pyrrhopterus
- Buff-rumped ThornbillAcanthiza reguloides
- Striated PardalotePardalotus striatus
- Pink RobinPetroica rodinogaster
- Grey CurrawongStrepera versicolor
- Pied CurrawongStrepera graculina
- Chestnut-rumped HeathwrenCalamanthus pyrrhopygius
- Dusky WoodswallowArtamus cyanopterus
- Rufous FantailRhipidura rufifrons
- Fuscous HoneyeaterPtilotula fusca
Other birds29 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Buff-banded RailGallirallus philippensis
- Brown QuailSynoicus ypsilophorus
- Australian CrakePorzana fluminea
- Eastern Spotted DoveSpilopelia chinensis
- Orange-bellied ParrotNeophema chrysogasterCR
- Lewin's RailLewinia pectoralis
- Eastern RosellaPlatycercus eximius
- Crimson RosellaPlatycercus elegans
- GalahEolophus roseicapilla
- Needle-tailed SwiftHirundapus caudacutus
- Coconut LorikeetTrichoglossus haematodus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- KookaburraDacelo novaeguineae
- Shining cuckooChrysococcyx lucidus
- Red-rumped ParrotPsephotus haematonotus
- Fan-tailed CuckooCacomantis flabelliformis
- Horsfield's Bronze CuckooChrysococcyx basalis
- Tawny FrogmouthPodargus strigoides
- Blue-winged ParrotNeophema chrysostomaVU
- Long-billed CorellaCacatua tenuirostris
- Pacific SwiftApus pacificus
- CootFulica atra
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- Little CorellaCacatua sanguinea
- Pallid cuckooCuculus pallidus
- Common BronzewingPhaps chalcoptera
- Peaceful DoveGeopelia placida
- Black-tailed NativehenGallinula ventralis
- Dusky MoorhenGallinula tenebrosa
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species from January to February.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan21°/16°44 mm
- Feb21°/16°46 mm
- Mar20°/16°45 mm
- Apr18°/14°64 mm
- May16°/13°67 mm
- Jun14°/11°70 mm
- Jul13°/10°70 mm
- Aug13°/10°76 mm
- Sep14°/11°65 mm
- Oct16°/12°63 mm
- Nov18°/13°73 mm
- Dec19°/14°57 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Mud Island.
Island in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia
Mud Island is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Australia.
196 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 19,471 open records.
The most recorded are the Silver Gull, the Great Crested-Tern and the Australasian Gannet.
28 species come for the summer, 34 for the winter and 2 only pass through.
10 are threatened worldwide, including Fairy Tern, Curlew Sandpiper and Grey Plover.
The most species are recorded from January to February.
Get there and watch
- Sorrento Foreshore Reservecampsite · 8.7 km · 7 within 10 km
- Portsea Hotelplace to stay · 7.4 km · 4 within 10 km
- Sorrentonearest town · 8.4 km in a straight line
- Melbourne Avalon International Airport (AVV)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 36 km in a straight lineCar hire at AVV airport (Geelong/Melbourne)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
- 7campsites within 10 kmSorrento Foreshore Reserve, Queenscliff Recreational Reserve Caravan Park, Victoria Park Campground and 4 more
- 4places to stay within 10 kmPortsea Hotel, Sorrento Hotel, Benambra Bed & Breakfast and 1 more
- 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
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Mud Island.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas27 mountains within 25 kmLondon Bridge · 9.8 kmSouth Red Bluff · 10 kmPearce Hill · 10 kmTimms Tunnel · 11 kmMarcus Hill · 14 kmWhite Woman Rock · 16 kmSteeles Rock · 18 kmArthurs Seat · 19 km
Coastya6 beaches within 10 kmSorrento Front Beach · 8.7 kmPortsea Surf Beach · 9.4 kmSorrento Back Beach · 9.4 kmBack Beach · 9.4 kmKoonya Ocean Beach · 9.7 kmSt Pauls Beach · 10 km
Lakeyas2 lakes within 15 kmSt Leonards Salt Lagoon0.4 km² · 13 kmLake Victoria0.2 km² · 14 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Other places nearby.
Mud Island
Australia
- 78Birdyas Score
- 196Species
- 64Migrants
- 10Threatened
Western Treatment Plant
Australia · 34 km
- 89Birdyas Score
- 305Species
- 117Migrants
- 15Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q6931362) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 19,471 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, Coastya, 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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waterfalls
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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