Vertebrate fauna of Wallacea and surrounds

20 Vertebrate fauna: birds

Note that amongst the birds there are some groups that are widespread – these include the migratory shorebirds and the birds of prey. On the other hand, several groups of birds are restricted to the Oriental region. There are a number of families that are endemic to Australia, i.e. they occur nowhere else on earth. As with the mammals, Australia and New Guinea share many families of birds.

Birds

Fauna of Indonesia Fauna of New Guinea Fauna of Australia
Waterbirds

  • herons, ducks, etc.
Waterbirds

  • herons, ducks, etc.
Waterbirds

  • herons, ducks, etc.
Shorebirds

  • migratory; mostly passage migrants
Shorebirds

  • migratory
Shorebirds

  • migratory; visit in austral summer
Birds of prey

  • raptors
Birds of prey

  • raptors
Birds of prey

  • raptors
Pheasants and junglefowl

  • Family Phasianidae
Quail

  • Family Phasianidae
Birds of paradise

  • Family Phasianidae – 38 species
Birds of paradise

  • Family Phasianidae – 3 species
    restricted to rainforests of eastern Australia
Megapods

  • mound nesters
Megapods

  • mound nesters
Megapods

  • mound nesters
Cassowary Emu
Relatively few parrots Parrots

  • cockatoos, lorys & lorikeets
Parrots

  • cockatoos, galah, cockatiel, budgerigar, lorikeets
  • ground parrots and long-tailed parrots
Woodpeckers

  • Family Picidae
Cuckoos

  • Family Cuculidae
Cuckoos

  • Family Cuculidae
Cuckoos

  • Family Cuculidae
Trogons

  • Family Trogonidae
Lyrebirds

  • Family Menuridae
Pigeons and doves

  • Family Columbidae
Pigeons and doves

  • Family Columbidae
Pigeons and doves

  • Family Columbidae
Kingfishers

  • including endemics
Kingfishers

  • including endemics
Kingfishers

  • including kookaburras
Hornbills

  • Family Bucerotidae
Hornbills

  • 1 species
Fairy-wrens

  • Family Maluridae
Fairy-wrens, emu-wrens & grasswrens

  • Family Maluridae
Flycatchers Thornbills, gerygones & scrubwrens

  • Family Acanthizidae
Barbets

  • Family Megalaimidae
Bulbuls

  • Family Pycnonotidae
Honeyeaters

  • Family Meliphagidae
Honeyeaters including friarbirds, wattlebirds, Melithreptus and Lichenostomus spp.

  • Family Meliphagidae
Cuckoo-shrikes

  • Family Campephagidae
Cuckoo-shrikes

  • Family Campephagidae
Cuckoo-shrikes

  • Family Campephagidae
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