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Australia Australia Ramsar wetland

Orielton Lagoon

166 bird species recorded; the most in March and from December to January.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec142at the peak
Species recorded in each month · tap a month

Victuallers · CC BY-SA 3.0

This month here

141 species in January.

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.

Silver Gull
Silver GullChroicocephalus novaehollandiaeResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Masked Lapwing
Masked LapwingVanellus milesResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Southern Black-backed Gull
Southern Black-backed GullLarus dominicanusResidentCláudio Dias Timm from Rio Grande do Sul · CC BY-SA 2.0
Noisy Miner
Noisy MinerManorina melanocephalaResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Welcome Swallow
Welcome SwallowHirundo neoxenaResidentBenjamint444 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Pied Oystercatcher
Pied OystercatcherHaematopus longirostrisResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Australian Magpie
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Pacific Golden Plover
Pacific Golden PloverPluvialis fulvaSummer visitorAMMuench · CC BY 4.0
Common Greenshank
Common GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorCharles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0
Little Pied Cormorant
Little Pied CormorantMicrocarbo melanoleucosResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Chestnut TealAnas castaneaResident
Musk Duck
Musk DuckBiziura lobataResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
White-faced Heron
White-faced HeronEgretta novaehollandiaeResidentRuss · CC BY 2.0
Gallinula mortieriiGallinula mortieriiResident
Common Starling
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentmarsupium photography · CC BY-SA 2.0
House Sparrow
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentDiliff · CC BY-SA 3.0
Caspian Tern
Caspian TernHydroprogne caspiaSummer visitorMdf · CC BY-SA 3.0
Forest Raven
Forest RavenCorvus tasmanicusResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Grey Teal
Grey TealAnas gracilisResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Hoary-headed Grebe
Hoary-headed GrebePoliocephalus poliocephalusResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Black swan
Black swanCygnus atratusResidentTarnishedPath · CC BY-SA 4.0
Great Cormorant
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Swamp Harrier
Swamp HarrierCircus approximansSummer visitorJude from New Zealand · CC BY-SA 2.0
Long-billed Corella
Long-billed CorellaCacatua tenuirostrisSummer visitorJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Resident all year
  • Summer visitor comes to breed
  • Winter visitor comes for the winter
  • Passage migrant in spring and autumn

In numbers

166 species, counted.

78out of 100

Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).

  • 166Speciesrecorded more than once
  • 67Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
  • 10ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
  • 72,694Recordsopen records within 6 km
  • 9Raptors
  • 2Owls
  • 31Waders
  • 9Gulls & seabirds
  • 13Ducks & geese
  • 15Herons, ibises & grebes
  • 51Songbirds
  • 36Other 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 166 species.

By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.

Raptors9 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Swamp HarrierCircus approximans
  • Brown FalconFalco berigora
  • White-bellied Sea-EagleHaliaeetus leucogaster
  • Wedge-tailed EagleAquila audax
  • Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
  • Australian hobbyFalco longipennis
  • Nankeen KestrelFalco cenchroides
  • Collared SparrowhawkAccipiter cirrocephalus
  • Brown GoshawkAccipiter fasciatus
Owls2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Australian Masked OwlTyto novaehollandiae
  • MopokeNinox novaeseelandiae
Waders31 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Masked LapwingVanellus miles
  • Pied OystercatcherHaematopus longirostris
  • Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
  • Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
  • Red-necked StintCalidris ruficollisNT
  • Pacific Golden PloverPluvialis fulva
  • Far Eastern CurlewNumenius madagascariensis
  • Sooty OystercatcherHaematopus fuliginosus
  • Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataVU
  • Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
  • Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
  • Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaVU
  • Red-capped PloverCharadrius ruficapillus
  • Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
  • Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
  • Banded LapwingVanellus tricolor
  • Great KnotCalidris tenuirostris
  • Double-banded PloverCharadrius bicinctusNT
  • Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
  • American golden ploverPluvialis dominica
  • Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
  • Black-fronted DotterelElseyornis melanops
  • Japanese SnipeGallinago hardwickiiNT
  • Hooded DotterelThinornis cucullatusNT
  • Charadrius mongolusCharadrius mongolus
  • Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
  • Greater Sand PloverCharadrius leschenaultii
  • Oriental DotterelCharadrius veredus
  • Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
  • Gray-tailed TattlerTringa brevipes
  • SanderlingCalidris alba
Gulls & seabirds9 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Silver GullChroicocephalus novaehollandiae
  • Southern Black-backed GullLarus dominicanus
  • Great Crested-TernThalasseus bergii
  • Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
  • Pacific GullLarus pacificus
  • Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
  • Australasian GannetMorus serrator
  • Fairy PrionPachyptila turtur
  • Fairy TernSternula nereisVU
Ducks & geese13 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Chestnut TealAnas castanea
  • Musk DuckBiziura lobata
  • Black swanCygnus atratus
  • Grey TealAnas gracilis
  • Maned DuckChenonetta jubata
  • Australian ShelduckTadorna tadornoides
  • Pacific Black DuckAnas superciliosa
  • Australasian ShovelerSpatula rhynchotis
  • HardheadAythya australis
  • MallardAnas platyrhynchos
  • Pink-eared DuckMalacorhynchus membranaceus
  • Blue-billed DuckOxyura australis
  • Cape Barren GooseCereopsis novaehollandiae
Herons, ibises & grebes15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Little Pied CormorantMicrocarbo melanoleucos
  • Hoary-headed GrebePoliocephalus poliocephalus
  • White-faced HeronEgretta novaehollandiae
  • Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
  • Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
  • Australian PelicanPelecanus conspicillatus
  • Black-faced CormorantPhalacrocorax fuscescens
  • Little Black CormorantPhalacrocorax sulcirostris
  • Little EgretEgretta garzetta
  • Royal SpoonbillPlatalea regia
  • Great White EgretArdea alba
  • Yellow-billed SpoonbillPlatalea flavipes
  • Australasian GrebeTachybaptus novaehollandiae
  • Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
  • Pied CormorantPhalacrocorax varius
Songbirds51 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Noisy MinerManorina melanocephala
  • Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicen
  • Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
  • Welcome SwallowHirundo neoxena
  • Forest RavenCorvus tasmanicus
  • House SparrowPasser domesticus
  • SkylarkAlauda arvensis
  • Little WattlebirdAnthochaera chrysoptera
  • Grey ButcherbirdCracticus torquatus
  • European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
  • Superb Fairy-wrenMalurus cyaneus
  • White-fronted ChatEpthianura albifrons
  • Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
  • Australian PipitAnthus australis
  • European GreenfinchChloris chloris
  • Spotted PardalotePardalotus punctatus
  • Rhipidura albiscapaRhipidura albiscapa
  • Black-faced CuckooshrikeCoracina novaehollandiae
  • SilvereyeZosterops lateralis
  • Crescent HoneyeaterPhylidonyris pyrrhopterus
  • Yellow WattlebirdAnthochaera paradoxa
  • Brown ThornbillAcanthiza pusilla
  • Yellow-throated HoneyeaterNesoptilotis flavicollis
  • Striated PardalotePardalotus striatus
  • Tree MartinPetrochelidon nigricans
  • Yellow-rumped ThornbillAcanthiza chrysorrhoa
  • Grey CurrawongStrepera versicolor
  • New Holland HoneyeaterPhylidonyris novaehollandiae
  • Flame RobinPetroica phoenicea
  • Dusky WoodswallowArtamus cyanopterus
  • Scarlet RobinPetroica boodang
  • Grey ShrikethrushColluricincla harmonica
  • Little GrassbirdMegalurus gramineus
  • Australasian PipitAnthus novaeseelandiae
  • Eastern SpinebillAcanthorhynchus tenuirostris
  • Australian Golden WhistlerPachycephala pectoralis
  • Grey FantailRhipidura fuliginosa
  • Black CurrawongStrepera fuliginosa
  • Scarlet RobinPetroica multicolor
  • Black-headed HoneyeaterMelithreptus affinis
  • Dusky RobinMelanodryas vittataVU
  • Olive-backed OrioleOriolus sagittatus
  • Tasmanian ScrubwrenSericornis humilis
  • Strong-billed HoneyeaterMelithreptus validirostrisVU
  • Satin FlycatcherMyiagra cyanoleuca
  • Bassian ThrushZoothera lunulata
  • Spotted Quail-thrushCinclosoma punctatum
  • Tasmanian ThornbillAcanthiza ewingii
  • Striated FieldwrenCalamanthus fuliginosus
  • Common MynaAcridotheres tristis
  • Pink RobinPetroica rodinogaster
Other birds36 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Gallinula mortieriiGallinula mortierii
  • GalahEolophus roseicapilla
  • Eastern RosellaPlatycercus eximius
  • CootFulica atra
  • Yellow-tailed Black CockatooZanda funerea
  • Long-billed CorellaCacatua tenuirostris
  • Orange-bellied ParrotNeophema chrysogasterCR
  • KookaburraDacelo novaeguineae
  • Sulphur-crested CockatooCacatua galerita
  • Green RosellaPlatycercus caledonicus
  • Coconut LorikeetTrichoglossus haematodus
  • Eastern Spotted DoveSpilopelia chinensis
  • Rock DoveColumba livia
  • Blue-winged ParrotNeophema chrysostomaVU
  • Musk LorikeetGlossopsitta concinna
  • Common BronzewingPhaps chalcoptera
  • Australasian SwamphenPorphyrio melanotus
  • Brown QuailSynoicus ypsilophorus
  • Little CorellaCacatua sanguinea
  • Fan-tailed CuckooCacomantis flabelliformis
  • Australian CrakePorzana fluminea
  • Pallid cuckooCuculus pallidus
  • Swift ParrotLathamus discolorCR
  • Indian PeafowlPavo cristatus
  • Red JunglefowlGallus gallus
  • Shining cuckooChrysococcyx lucidus
  • Needle-tailed SwiftHirundapus caudacutus
  • Horsfield's Bronze CuckooChrysococcyx basalis
  • Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
  • Tawny FrogmouthPodargus strigoides
  • Brush BronzewingPhaps elegans
  • Yellow-tailed Black CockatooCalyptorhynchus funereus
  • Dusky MoorhenGallinula tenebrosa
  • Australian Owlet-NightjarAegotheles cristatus
  • Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
  • Swamp ParakeetPezoporus wallicus

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 March and from December to January.

Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.

  1. Jan14121°/12°56 mm
  2. Feb12821°/12°44 mm
  3. Mar13119°/11°57 mm
  4. Apr11716°/9°53 mm
  5. May10814°/8°55 mm
  6. Jun11212°/6°65 mm
  7. Jul10811°/6°60 mm
  8. Aug10912°/5°75 mm
  9. Sep12913°/6°67 mm
  10. Oct12615°/7°64 mm
  11. Nov12917°/9°63 mm
  12. Dec14219°/11°61 mm
  • Bar: species recorded that month.
  • Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
  • Rain: monthly total.

The place

Orielton Lagoon.

Lagoon in Tasmania, Australia

Orielton Lagoon is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Australia.

166 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 72,694 open records.

The most recorded are the Masked Lapwing, the Silver Gull and the Southern Black-backed Gull.

39 species come for the summer, 28 for the winter and 0 only pass through.

10 are threatened worldwide, including Orange-bellied Parrot, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Curlew Sandpiper.

The most species are recorded in March and from December to January.

Epthianura albifrons male - Orielton Lagoon SQ
Victuallers · CC BY-SA 3.0

Get there and watch

  • Sorell Council Self Contained RV Parkcampsite · 1.4 km · 5 within 10 km
  • Iron Creeek Bayplace to stay · 5.3 km · 64 within 10 km
  • Midway Pointnearest town · 1.1 km in a straight line
  • Hobart International Airport (HBA)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 6 km in a straight lineCar hire at HBA airport (Hobart)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.

Orielton Lagoon seen from above (Sentinel-2)
Seen from above: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 (EOX, CC BY 4.0), 6 × 6 km, north up. Points © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Around, in OpenStreetMap

  • 1visitor centres within 6 kmParks and Wildlife Office
  • 31car parks within 3 km
  • 5restaurants and cafés within 3 km
  • 5campsites within 10 kmSorell Council Self Contained RV Park, Hobart Airport Big4 Caravan Park, Barilla Holiday Park and 2 more
  • 64places to stay within 10 kmIron Creeek Bay, Quality Hotel Hobart Airport, Hobart Airport Travel Lodge and 61 more
  • bird hides within 6 km
  • observation towers within 6 km
  • marked trails within 4 km
  • viewpoints within 5 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 Orielton Lagoon.

The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.

Peakyas158 mountains within 25 km
Whale Rock · 11 kmFlagstaff Hill · 14 kmSteeles Hill · 15 kmSugarloaf Hill · 16 kmGunners Quoin · 18 kmMount Direction · 19 kmMount Nelson · 22 kmMount Stewart · 24 km
Coastya1 beaches within 10 km
Red Ochre Beach · 9.2 km

Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.

Photographs

The place, as people saw it.

Epthianura albifrons - Orielton Lagoon
JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tidal Flat of the Pitt Water region of South Eastern Tasmania
Spaceboy56 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Midway Point TAS 1
Spaceboy56 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Other places nearby.

Orielton Lagoon

Australia

  • 78Birdyas Score
  • 166Species
  • 67Migrants
  • 10Threatened

Moulting Lagoon

Australia · 99 km

  • 59Birdyas Score
  • 110Species
  • 32Migrants
  • 6Threatened

See the guide

Interlaken Lakeside Reserve

Australia · 77 km

  • 47Birdyas Score
  • 60Species
  • 24Migrants
  • 3Threatened

See the guide

St Helens Important Bird Area

Australia · 177 km

  • 70Birdyas Score
  • 161Species
  • 52Migrants
  • 8Threatened

See the guide

Where these figures come from

Name and typeWikidata (Q7102267) · CC0
Birds72,694 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
See these recordsgbif.org
SpeciesGBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons
AltitudeCopernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA
Temperature and rainNASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2)
What is around© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL
ImagesEOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons
Sister atlasesPeakyas, Islandyas, Coastya, Darkskyas

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.