West Swan Island, located off the coast of Western Australia, is home to a diverse array of bird species.
With its varied habitats, including salt marsh, mangrove forests, and beaches, the island serves as a vital feeding and nesting ground for many avian species throughout the year.
The birds on West Swan Island range from migratory species that breed in the Northern Hemisphere and spend their winters on the island to endemic species unique to Western Australia.
This abundance of birds makes West Swan Island a popular destination for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts alike, providing a unique opportunity to observe these fascinating creatures in their natural habitats.
17 Native Birds Of West Swan Island
West Swan Island, part of the Furneaux Group in Bass Strait, Tasmania, is known for its diverse birdlife.
While I don’t have specific information about the exact 17 native bird species found on West Swan Island, I can provide you with a list of some common and notable bird species that are typically found in the region.
Keep in mind that the availability of bird species may vary depending on the time of year and environmental conditions:
1. Belted Kingfisher
The belted kingfisher is a large, eye-catching bird native to North America. It belongs to the family Alcedinidae and has been divided into three subfamilies by recent research.
The species was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae.
This water Kingfisher stands out for its size and striking plumage; males are bright blue on top with white below, and females have rusty brown backs and wings with a thick black breast band across their chest.
They also possess an impressive call which can be heard from quite far away.
Belted kingfishers feed mainly on small fish but will sometimes also eat crustaceans, insects or even amphibians if they come across them while hunting around rivers or streams.
All in all, this is truly one remarkable bird that deserves our admiration.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Coraciiformes |
| Family | Alcedinidae |
| Subfamily | Cerylinae |
| Genus | Megaceryle |
| Species | M. alcyon |
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2. Lesser Yellowlegs
The Lesser Yellowlegs is a medium-sized shorebird found in the boreal forest region of North America.
It was described by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789 and placed into the genus Scolopax.
This species has buff upperparts, white underparts, yellow legs and feet, olive green wings with white edges on its secondaries and tertials, and a thin black bill that curves downward towards its tip.
The male lesser yellowlegs are slightly larger than females and can be distinguished from other waders due to their unique call; they will often make loud “chew” or “churr” noises when alarmed during the breeding season.
They typically feed on small aquatic insects such as beetles, flies, moths, etc., but may also eat crustaceans such as shrimp or water snails if available.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Scolopacidae |
| Genus | Tringa |
| Species | T. flavipes |
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3. Great Egret
The Great Egret is a large, white bird found in many regions of the world. It has four subspecies that reside across Asia, Africa, the Americas and southern Europe.
This species usually lives near bodies of water such as lakes and marshes. They are also now starting to spread into more northern areas of Europe due to climate change.
These birds have long yellow legs with an impressive wingspan, allowing them to soar majestically through the sky, hunting for fish or amphibians in shallow waters below.
Their feathers have been used historically by Native Americans as part of traditional garments or ceremonies, but this practice should be avoided today so these amazing creatures can thrive without harm from humans.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Ardeidae |
| Genus | Ardea |
| Species | A. alba |
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4. Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a majestic wading bird found in many parts of North America, Central America, the Caribbean and even as far away as the Galapagos Islands.
It has an impressive wingspan which can reach up to six feet wide. Its feathers are mainly bluish-grey with brownish streaks on both its neck and chest, while its head displays white plumes.
The adult herons can also be identified by their yellow bill and legs.
They live near bodies of water such as lakes, marshes or rivers, feeding on fish using a spear-like motion with their sharp bills.
An all-white population exists only in South Florida and the Florida Keys, making it quite unique.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Ardeidae |
| Genus | Ardea |
| Species | A. herodias |
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5. Trumpeter Swan
The majestic Trumpeter Swan is the largest native waterfowl in North America, with a wingspan of up to 8 feet.
Found throughout Canada and parts of the United States, this beautiful bird can live for up to 20 years.
It has black legs, a tipped yellow bill, and snow-white feathers that help it stand out in its natural habitat.
The trumpeter swan’s diet consists mainly of aquatic vegetation such as roots, tubers, stems, leaves and seeds, which they find by wading into shallow waters or grazing on land.
These birds form strong family bonds; both parents raise their young together until they reach adulthood at four years old.
These incredible creatures have been brought back from near extinction through conservation efforts, giving us something special to appreciate.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae |
| Genus | Cygnus |
| Species | C. buccinator |
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6. Common Tern
The Common Tern is a seabird in the Laridae family, found all over Europe, Asia and North America. It is migratory, spending its winters in coastal tropical and subtropical regions.
Breeding adults have light grey upperparts with white to very light grey underparts featuring an orange-red beak and black cap.
They are known for their graceful flight as they hunt small fish or insects by diving into water from great heights.
During the breeding season, they build nests together on islands or sandbars using grasses and other materials to create them.
The female will lay two eggs, which she incubates while her mate stands guard nearby; both parents take turns feeding the chicks until it’s time for them to fly away.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Laridae |
| Genus | Sterna |
| Species | S. hirundo |
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7. Black Tern
The black tern is a small yet distinctive bird found in or near inland water habitats throughout Europe, Western Asia and North America.
Its plumage appears darkly coloured from a distance but can shine with an iridescent blue hue up close when breeding season arrives.
Its name is believed to come from the Old English word ‘blue darr’, which references the colour of its feathers in certain lights.
The genus Chlidonias derives its name from the Greek meaning ‘swallow-like’ due to its appearance and behaviour, which are similar to those of these birds while they are fishing for food in shallow waters.
An interesting species, it has appeared in artwork dating back centuries and, more recently, inspiring music compositions.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Laridae |
| Genus | Chlidonias |
| Species | C. niger |
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8. Black-Crowned Night Heron
The Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) is a medium-sized bird found in various parts of the world, including Europe, Asia and North and South America.
It has black crowns on its head with white feathers underneath. Its wings are greyish brown, while its underparts are mostly white.
This species can be seen foraging near shallow water or along coastlines during dusk or dawn as it hunts small fish, amphibians and crustaceans.
They also feed on insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, which they find in meadows close to freshwater bodies like lakes or ponds, where they breed during springtime, making nests using twigs lined with reeds and leaves near these waterside habitats.
In Australasia, this species hybridizes with the nankeen night heron that inhabits those areas instead; however, both populations remain distinct from each other despite their overlapping range regions.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Ardeidae |
| Genus | Nycticorax |
| Species | N. nycticorax |
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9. Spotted Sandpiper
The Spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius) is a small shorebird that can be found across North America and parts of South America.
It has an appealing spotted plumage, predominately brown in colour, with white spots on the wings, tail feathers, head and neck.
The Common Sandpiper (A. hypoleucos) is its sister species, which takes over geographically when the other moves away; they have been known to hybridize as well when strays settle down among breeders.
This bird was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in his twelfth edition of Systema Naturae as a migratory summer visitor to Europe, but it now also occupies many habitats like beaches, riversides and even grasslands during migration periods or for the breeding season itself.
Its diet consists mainly of insects such as air-borne flies and molluscs from shallow water areas, making them quite unique amongst waders.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Scolopacidae |
| Genus | Actitis |
| Species | A. macularius |
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10. Ring-Billed Gull
The Ring-billed Gull is a medium-sized seabird that can be seen throughout North America. Its head, neck and underparts are white, while its back and wings are silver-grey in colour.
It has a relatively short yellow bill with a dark ring around it and yellow legs.
The genus name for this species of gull comes from the Latin word ‘Larus’, which refers to large sea birds or gulls, while the specific delawarensis refers to the Delaware River where these birds were first discovered.
These beautiful creatures thrive near coasts, lakeshores, and other bodies of water but have also been known to inhabit urban areas such as parks close by those watersides due to their adaptability towards human habitats.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Laridae |
| Genus | Larus |
| Species | L. delawarensis |
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11. Bonaparte’s Gull
Bonaparte’s gull is a small species of gull usually found in northern North America. It measures 28 to 38 cm (11 to 15 inches) long and has mainly white plumage with grey upperparts.
During the breeding season, it develops a slaty-black hood on its head. Both male and female Bonaparte’s gulls look alike; they are not sexually dimorphic like some other birds.
This bird was first described by George Ord in 1818, although Native Americans had likely been familiar with the bird for much longer than that.
Its scientific name, Chroicocephalus Philadelphia, means “grey-headed Philadelphia” due to its resemblance to the city’s official bird – the American Bald Eagle.
The bonaparte’s gull is an active hunter that feeds mostly on insects, invertebrates, and fish eggs or larvae when available.
Despite their size, these birds can often be seen flying far away from shorelines over open water, looking for food.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Laridae |
| Genus | Chroicocephalus |
| Species | C. philadelphia |
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12. Snow Goose
The snow goose is a species of goose native to North America, recognizable by its white or dark plumage. It belongs to the genus Anser, also known as the “gray goose”.
Snow geese breed north of the timberline in Greenland, Canada and Alaska – places with harsh climates that would seem inhospitable for such birds.
Yet they thrive here due to their migration pattern; when winter arrives, they fly southwards along two major routes towards warmer climates like California and Mexico, where food sources are more plentiful.
Although these graceful waterfowls have adapted well to human activity near some parts of their range, hunting still takes its toll on them, so we must protect this species from extinction.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae |
| Genus | Anser |
| Species | A. caerulescens |
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13. Greater Yellowlegs
The Greater Yellowlegs is a large shorebird found in the family Scolopacidae. It nests mainly in central Canada and south Alaska while wintering in southern North America, Central America, West Indies and South America.
The bird was formally described by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin as part of his revision to Carl Linnaeus’s Systema Naturae.
It has long yellow legs, which sets it apart from other birds of its kind; when disturbed or alarmed, they will flash these bright-coloured limbs about wildly.
Its diet consists mostly of insects like flies, beetles, grasshoppers and dragonflies although aquatic invertebrates are also occasionally eaten.
These birds have adapted well to human habitation near shallow marshes or mudflats with plenty of food sources for them to feed upon, making them an easier species for people who love bird watching.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Scolopacidae |
| Genus | Tringa |
| Species | T. melanoleuca |
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14. Willet
The Willet is a large and robust bird of the Scolopacidae family. It belongs to the genus Tringa, and it is much larger than its closest relative – lesser yellowlegs, which can be easily distinguished by its fine neck pattern.
The willet has brown upperparts, white patches on the wings, and grey underparts. Its bill is thick, long and straight in shape, with black colouration at the tip, while the legs are also long but greenish-grey.
They feed mainly on insects, worms, or crustaceans that they find near coastal waters or wetlands and grains or seeds when they are available during winter.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Scolopacidae |
| Genus | Tringa |
| Species | T. semipalmata |
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15. Buff-Breasted Sandpiper
The Buff-breasted Sandpiper is a tiny shorebird with a brown upper body, buff-coloured face, and underparts. Its Latin name, Calidris subruficollis, means “reddish-necked” due to its somewhat rufous neck.
The bird boasts a short bill and striking yellow legs. Both males and females possess the same plumage.
It is considered a calidrid sandpiper and a migratory bird travelling across the Americas from the Arctic tundra to South America during the breeding season.
This bird is found in open habitats, such as prairies, wet meadows, and shores. The Buff-breasted sandpiper faces threats due to habitat loss, hunting, and human disturbance.
Conservation efforts are being put in place to save this bird from extinction.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Scolopacidae |
| Genus | Calidris |
| Species | C. subruficollis |
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16. Wilson’s Snipe
Wilson’s snipe is a small shorebird characterized by its stocky physique. Its genus name, Gallinago, refers to it being a woodcock or snipe, while its specific name, delicata, means “dainty” in Latin.
This bird was a subspecies of the common snipe until 2003 when it was recognized as a distinct species.
Despite its small size, the Wilson’s snipe is highly capable in flight and has been known to fly thousands of miles during migration.
Its distinctive bill, which is long and straight, is used primarily for probing in the mud for food. Although it is primarily found in wetlands and marshes, this bird may also venture into other habitats during breeding season.
The Wilson snipe has a unique mating call, which sounds like a winnowing or bleating sound and can often be heard in their breeding territories in the early mornings and late evenings.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Scolopacidae |
| Genus | Gallinago |
| Species | G. delicata |
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17. Caspian Tern
The Caspian tern is a unique bird species that is widely spread across the world. This bird is the sole member of its genus and has no subspecies. Its scientific name, Hydroprogne caspia, comes from the Greek word for water and the Latin term for swallow.
The Caspian tern’s distinctive name comes from its association with the Caspian Sea. Despite being named after a sea, the Caspian tern is a migratory bird that is not limited to one specific habitat.
It is well-known for its striking appearance and an impressive wingspan of 165 cm, the longest of any tern species.
This bird’s population is considered to be stable, and it has also been used to monitor ecosystem health, making it an important species to preserve.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Laridae |
| Genus | Hydroprogne Kaup, 1829 |
| Species | H. caspia |
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To Recap
West Swan Island in the Furneaux Group of Tasmania boasts a diverse range of native bird species, enhancing its natural beauty and ecological significance.
While the exact list of 17 native birds may vary based on factors like season and conservation efforts, the island offers a unique habitat for various avian life.
From the iconic Cape Barren Goose and the charming Little Penguin to the elegant Silver Gull and majestic Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo.
These birds contribute to the island’s ecological balance and provide opportunities for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts to appreciate the richness of its avian biodiversity.
West Swan Island remains a haven for both resident and migratory birds, making it a vital area for the conservation and appreciation of our feathered friends.