What Birds Can You See
at Ningaloo Reef?

The Ningaloo Coast is far better known for its whale sharks and coral reef than for its birds — yet for those who look beyond the water's edge, this remote corner of Western Australia reveals itself as one of the continent's most rewarding birding destinations. Spanning over 300 kilometres of coastline between Coral Bay and North West Cape, the region encompasses a remarkable variety of habitats compressed into a relatively compact area.

To the west, the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park shelters seabirds and coastal specialists. At the reef's edge, mangrove-fringed creeks and tidal mudflats attract waders and herons. The limestone ranges of Cape Range National Park provide shelter for arid-zone species, their gorges channelling the rare rains that bring finches and chats to drink. And stretching inland, the vast red spinifex plains host an entirely different suite of birds adapted to one of the driest landscapes on Earth.

Ornithologists have recorded over 180 bird species across the Exmouth Gulf and Ningaloo region. The list below covers the most reliably encountered, organised by the habitat where you're most likely to find them.

The Ningaloo Coast is exceptional raptor country. The combination of productive marine waters, vast arid plains, and the Cape Range gorge system supports a diverse suite of diurnal raptors. Scanning fence posts along Minilya-Exmouth Road or the ridgelines above Yardie Creek will often reveal multiple species within a short distance.

The Osprey is perhaps the region's signature bird — a near-constant presence along the coast, plunge-diving for fish in the shallow lagoons behind the reef. Nesting pairs are highly visible year-round on artificial platforms, navigation markers, and exposed cliff ledges. The White-bellied Sea Eagle shares similar coastal habitat, though it is less numerous and more often seen soaring at altitude. Both species frequently occur together at productive fishing grounds around Exmouth Gulf.

Inland, the Wedge-tailed Eagle is the dominant large raptor, with resident pairs holding territories across the pastoral plains. The Brahminy Kite — stunning in its chestnut and white plumage — is common around mangroves, boat ramps, and fish-cleaning areas. The smaller Whistling Kite is similarly widespread, often seen in loose flocks over open country.

The outer reef and offshore waters of the Ningaloo Marine Park support a healthy seabird community, most easily observed from the beach at Point Murat, Bundegi Reef, or from a boat heading offshore. Several offshore islands — Muiron Islands, Lighthouse Bay — serve as important nesting sites for boobies, terns, and frigatebirds.

The Lesser Frigatebird is a regular and spectacular presence, its long angular wings and forked tail making it unmistakeable as it pirates fish from gulls and terns over the lagoon. Both booby species breed on the Muiron Islands: the Brown Booby nests on the ground in good numbers, while the Red-footed Booby — in both white and brown morphs — nests in low shrubs. Tern diversity is high during the summer months, with Bridled, Sooty, Roseate, and Black-naped terns all possible on pelagic trips.

The mangrove systems of the Exmouth Gulf are among the most southerly on the Indian Ocean coast of Western Australia, and they support a characteristic community of herons, egrets, cormorants, and waders. The Learmonth Boat Ramp area and the mangrove-lined creeks south of Exmouth town are productive sites. Pelicans are a constant presence wherever fish can be found, and the striking Eastern Reef Egret — occurring in both slate-grey and white morphs — stalks the reef's edge at low tide.

The saline mudflats along the eastern shore of Exmouth Gulf, particularly around Learmonth and Giralia, attract impressive concentrations of waterbirds during the dry season. Banded Stilts and Red-necked Avocets gather in large flocks when conditions are right, and the rare Australian Pelican is a year-round fixture.

The Exmouth Gulf is recognised as a wetland of national importance for migratory shorebirds, providing critical non-breeding habitat for species that breed in the Arctic and sub-Arctic each northern summer. The mudflats and sandflats of the gulf's eastern shore are most productive between October and April, when tens of thousands of waders congregate to feed on the invertebrate-rich sediments.

The Bar-tailed Godwit is among the most impressive — having completed the longest recorded non-stop migration of any bird (over 11,000 km from Alaska to Australia without landing), these birds arrive exhausted but recover rapidly on Exmouth's tidal flats. The Red-necked Stint arrives in the greatest numbers, often in flocks of hundreds on the upper mudflats. The large Eastern Curlew — Australia's largest migratory shorebird and critically endangered — is a regular visitor, most often seen probing the mud at the waterline with its dramatically curved bill.

Beyond the coastal strip lies a landscape of red earth and golden spinifex — vast, ancient, and alive with birds that have adapted to survive in one of the harshest environments on the planet. This is some of Australia's finest arid-zone birding, and species that are difficult to find elsewhere can be encountered here with some patience and local knowledge.

The Emu — Australia's largest bird — is a regular sight on the roads south of Exmouth and through Cape Range, sometimes in small family groups with striped chicks in tow. Finches are a particular highlight of the region's arid zone: Zebra Finches are ever-present around water sources, while the exquisite Painted Finch, with its brilliant crimson face and flanks, is found in rocky gorge country. Budgerigars can appear in staggering flocks — hundreds or even thousands of birds moving nomadically across the plains following rainfall.

The Spinifex Pigeon — a plump, rust-and-white pigeon with an extravagant erect crest — walks along the gravel roads and rocky scree slopes of Cape Range. The pigeon is remarkably confiding and a favourite photographic subject. Look also for the Bourke's Parrot at dawn and dusk, when these soft pink-and-brown birds visit waterholes and drainage lines.

The acacia shrublands and mulga woodlands of the Cape Range hinterland, along with the narrow gorge systems of the national park itself, support a rich community of songbirds, honeyeaters, and insect-eaters. Dawn in the gorges — particularly at Yardie Creek or Shothole Canyon — is an experience not easily forgotten: the still air carries the calls of dozens of species in the half-light before sunrise.

The Rainbow Bee-eater is one of the most vivid birds in the region — jewel-green with a black mask and rufous crown, it perches on low branches and telephone wires before sallying after insects in graceful arcs. It is partly migratory, most numerous between August and April. The White-winged Fairywren — the male an electric blue-and-white confection — is a particular speciality of the Ningaloo region's coastal scrub, where small family parties move through the low shrubs in constant animated motion.

Honeyeaters are well represented: the Singing Honeyeater is ubiquitous, while the White-fronted Honeyeater and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater are regular in flowering acacias. The distinctive Red-backed Kingfisher replaces the more familiar Sacred Kingfisher in the arid interior, nesting in earth banks along creek lines.

The Ningaloo region has a pronounced dry season (April–October) and a hot, humid wet season (November–March). Both periods have their birding merits.

The following sites consistently produce the most species and are accessible to independent visitors. Many are within 30–60 minutes of Exmouth town.