National Bird Events
Find upcoming birdwatching and bird-related events near you, from walks to festivals and everything in between.
You might also like to check out our birdwatching group directory.
Add your event by completing this form.
Australia-wide
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Across Australia
These exclusive and budget-friendly experiences are in collaboration with birdwatching groups and tour guides. Meet-ups vary from a few hours to a long weekend.
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Your local area
These seasonal BirdLife bird surveys are super simple to do, and it’s free to take part. All you have to do is hop onto the Birdata website or the Birdata app, and follow the instructions. It only takes 20 minutes, plus a moment to jot down some simple information about your garden. Anybody can participate. The data you gather is vitally important for BirdLife Australia’s team of scientists.
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ACT, NSW, QLD and VIC
The Swift Parrot Search collects data on this species, the availability of foraging resources and other threatened other woodland birds in the area. There are nearly two thousand permanent monitoring sites on public land throughout south-eastern mainland Australia. Birdwatchers are asked to undertake a 5-minute/50-metre radius search at each fixed site location.
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South-eastern QLD, eastern NSW, ACT, eastern Victoria
This BirdLife citizen science event collects data across the distribution of the South-eastern Glossy Black-Cockatoo. Participant citizen scientists spend one hour (or more) at any time during the Count weekend exploring their selected survey site to collect data on Glossies and their feeding habitat. Join the Count as a group or bring a friend along for a great opportunity to enjoy time in nature while supporting the recovery of threatened birds.
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Your local area
Taking part is easy in BirdLife Australia’s Aussie Bird Count. Just spend 20 minutes in your favourite outdoor space and count the birds you see. Submit your results using the app or the web form. There’s a built-in “bird finder” tool to help you identify birds you’re unsure of. You can count as many times as you want. Every count collects data for scientific research.
New South Wales (NSW)
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Oakwood, 675 Jamisons Road Upper Nile, NSW
For three decades, BirdLife Southern NSW has been dedicated to protecting the endangered Regent Honeyeaters by planting trees in the beautiful Capertee Valley. Help to create a brighter future for these beautiful birds. There is no charge to attend the planting and bird walk activities. There are also a limited number of tickets that include dinner on the Saturday evening for a small charge. You will need to arrange your own accommodation, with lots of options nearby.
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Old Fitz Theatre
Blending science, storytelling, music and video, ‘Birdsong of Tomorrow’ is a playful and heartfelt look at our rapidly changing environment - and what birds might sing when we’re gone. Performed by Nathan Harrison who is a professional theatre-maker and an amateur birdwatcher, who has seen roughly 150 varieties in the last year alone.
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Broken Hill and surrounds
Experience birdwatching in the NSW Outback. This Weekend Birder Meet-up has been organised in collaboration with local guides. Birdwatchers of all experience levels, from beginner to expert, are welcome.
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Capertee Valley, NSW
In Australia's most spectacular birding destination, you will go into the heart of the community for an exclusive experience showcasing the 240+ bird species found in the Capertee Valley and the conservation of their habitat.
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Sydney
The Inner West Bird Fest is your chance to get outside, learn a little, and connect with birds (and fellow bird lovers) in your neighbourhood. Most events are free and beginner-friendly.
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The Corner Gallery, Percival Rd & Myrtle St, Stanmore
Bird Week is an annual exhibition held in Sydney, which supports BirdLife Australia and coincides with National Bird Week. This year’s theme is ‘Joy’.
Northern Territory (NT)
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Kakadu National Park
Kakadu is the perfect place to discover and learn all about the unique species of birds living in this magical part of the world, which is dual World Heritage-listed for both its natural and cultural values. During Bird Week, visitors and viewers are treated to specialist lectures, cultural events and some of Australia's best birdwatching.
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Various locations around Darwin-Garramilla
Celebrate shorebirds in Darwin-Garramilla, Northern Territory. The aim of the festival is to engage and ignite the community about shorebirds through the arts and sciences. There is something for everyone - all welcome.
Queensland (QLD)
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Bellara, Bribie Island
Hosted by the National Parks Association of Queensland (NPAQ), you will visit Bibimulya Wetlands and Kakadu Beach with the guidance of an experienced birdwatcher.
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Atherton Tablelands, near Cairns
The Crane Count has been running annually since 1997 to monitor the population of Sarus Cranes. Organised with the support of BirdLife North Queensland and a great team of volunteers. Held on a weekend in September each year.
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Bribie Island
The Bribie Island Nature Festival was created to showcase the unique environment and natural beauty of Bribie Island.
Events include outdoor activities in stunning locations, cultural tours, visual arts exhibitions, an art trail of local galleries and artists’ studios and shops, workshops, guided nature walks, and talks and lectures by artists, scientists and community leaders.
South Australia (SA)
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Oaklands Wetland Reserve, Oaklands Rd, Oaklands SA
Join us under the trees for a wander around this impressive reconstructed wetlands reserve and some chill birdspotting at your own pace. eBird notes elusive crakes and rails can be spotted here, along with pardalotes, grebes and hybridised ducks!
Bring along a picnic rug and some snacks, your birdwatching kit and your friends. Free to attend, no experience required. -
Sturt Gorge Recreation Park, Gate 24 Broadmeadow Dr, Flagstaff Hill SA
Feeling a bit adventurous? Join your fellow birders in a hike along the Sturt River to the lookout at Sturt Dam, traipsing through woodland and creeks, spotting little brown birds along the way! Pack some snacks and water, get your boots and get ready to go off-road.
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Wadmore Park, Maryvale Rd, Athelstone SA
With lots of little circuits and intersecting paths, this is a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure style walk, with everyone free to wander together or alone. We'll re-gather at the start point around 11 for a BYO morning tea and to share observations! Bring along your birdwatching kit and your friends. Free to attend, no experience required.
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Morialta Conservation Park, Morialta Falls Road, Woodforde
The Adelaide Bird Club is a community group for local bird lovers, offering casual birdwatching meetups in and around Adelaide, South Australia.
Tasmania (TAS)
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Hobart
Welcome to the 3rd Annual Birds Trophy. There’s a $1000 cash prize for this year’s winner and plenty of other prizes to giveaway. Free to enter and participants should have 3 games experience. They can either create their own table of 3-4 players or be assigned one at random for the first round.
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Across Tasmania
"Life on Land's Edge" takes you on an epic journey alongside migratory birds as they connect continents and cultures. A cinematic concert experience, “Life on Land's Edge” draws on art, science, and music from across the ages. Spectacular footage and soundscapes set the scene for two of Australia's most adventurous musicians. Be immersed in one of nature's greatest stories.
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Hobart, Bruny Island and surrounds
Celebrate the Aussie Bird Count with us. This Weekend Birder Meet-up has been organised in collaboration with local guides. Birdwatchers of all experience levels, from beginner to expert, are welcome.
Victoria (VIC)
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Across Victoria
Join a Parks Victoria volunteer-led walk in a special corner of Victoria. These walks aren’t birdwatching focused but there will be time for you to stop and look at the birds around you.
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Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is full of incredible birdlife, from coots to cormorants, spinebills to swans. On this guided walk, spot water birds nesting around Ornamental Lake and delight in the sights and sounds of the birds that call the Gardens home. Continue your discovery with a take-home bird guide.
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Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne
Discover the wonderful world of the birds that call the Australian Garden home. Take a behind-the-scenes look at how they have shaped the country’s forests and wildflowers on a guided tour through the Australian Garden. See and hear them flying, feeding and nesting as you explore the landscape.
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Trin Warren Tam-boore Wetlands carpark, Oak St, Parkville West
Join surveys for 4 separate areas of Royal Park West including wetland, grassland and remnant bush, monitoring species and numbers of birds using the Australian Bird Atlas survey regime. Results are uploaded to global database Birdlife Birddata. Binoculars and field guides are available to borrow. All welcome.
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Different locations along the Merri Creek and at Edwardes Lake
Joining in a bird survey on the Merri Creek is a great way to find out about our fascinating local birds. It's also an enjoyable get-together, with some gentle exercise. Information collected in the surveys is valuable in showing the changes in bird populations over time, including their response to habitat restoration and revegetation along the creek. Beginner birders are welcome.
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Newport Lakes, Melbourne
Start your February exploring Newport Lakes Reserve! This hidden urban gem is a peaceful oasis with plenty of waterbirds and bush birds. Never been birdwatching before? Perfect! FERN is all about making birding welcoming and accessible. Everyone's welcome to join at their own pace. The paths at Newport Lakes are well maintained but there are some gentle slopes. We'll take it easy and there are plenty of spots to pause and rest along the way.
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Rutherglen
This relaxed bird photography workshop is a great opportunity to spend a weekend in nature, photographing birds, learning about photography and sampling delicious local food with likeminded people. The event is designed for beginners, hosted on the property of Ian Congdon and Courtney Young from Woodstock Flour, guided by Canberra bird photographer, Olivia Congdon. The focus will be on having fun and providing you with everything you need to know when delving into bird photography as a hobby.
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Coolart Wetlands and Homestead and other locations on the Mornington Peninsula
This 2-day festival includes guided bird watching, presentations, workshops, social activities and an art show. Kirsty from Weekend Birder will also be there hosting mindfulness birdwatching sessions.
Western Australia (WA)
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South-West WA
CockyWatch road surveys are a citizen science initiative that will help BirdLife Australia find out more about the black-cockatoos of the South West. Anybody can participate, anywhere from north of Kalbarri to east of Esperance. All you need to do is be in transit – if your drive is longer than 20 kilometres, or you’re walking/cycling for at least 2 kilometres, you can conduct a CockyWatch survey.
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Outer Perth Metropolitan Area
Rainbow Lorikeets are a declared pest in WA, and their numbers have exploded since their introduction in the 1960s, increasing from 10 individuals to over 40,000. Report your sightings of Rainbow Lorikeets from across the outer Perth Metropolitan Area.
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South-west of a line between Geraldton and Esperance
The Great Cocky Count is a citizen-science survey, and the biggest single survey for black-cockatoos in WA. In the lead-up to the Count each year, people are asked to keep an eye out for roost sites, which helps BirdLife plan the upcoming Count. Then, on one evening each autumn, volunteers monitor known roost sites and count black-cockatoos as they arrive in the evening. Records submitted from across the South West provide a snapshot of black-cockatoo populations, helping scientists quantify changes in their numbers.
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Christmas Island
Explore the unique birdlife on Christmas Island during this annual event. Bird lovers are offered the opportunity to get up close and personal to nature and all Christmas Island has to offer. Experienced and passionate guides, working in research and specialising in birds, help bring guests and the unique fauna and flora on Christmas Island closer together.
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Greater Perth, Peel Region
Take part in the Alcoa Foundation Spring Cocky Count, monitoring Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos at their evening roost sites. This information helps BirdLife understand their seasonal movements and informs conservation efforts.