Meet the Locals: 5 Iconic Australian Birds You Should Know

Australia is home to some of the world’s most unusual and unforgettable birds. During October, your team Birdorable will be visiting Oz, and we're scheduling some posts about the Land Down Under while we're off exploring. From tiny fairywrens to giant Emus, the continent’s birdlife is as bold and diverse as the landscapes they live in.

Whether you're a new birder or just curious about Aussie wildlife, here are five iconic Australian birds to help you become familiar with their unique birdlife. 

🎶 Laughing Kookaburra

Known for its unmistakable call that sounds like loud, echoing laughter, the Laughing Kookaburra is a type of kingfisher. But unlike many kingfishers, it doesn't fish—instead, it hunts insects, small reptiles, and even snakes.

You’ll find them perched on fences, tree branches, and telephone wires across eastern Australia, especially in suburban areas. Their dawn and dusk "laughing choruses" are a classic Aussie sound. The sound will probably be familiar to you, too, as their call is often used in movies as a background sound in tropical scenes.

💎 Superb Fairywren

These tiny, active birds are often seen flitting through gardens and parks in southeastern Australia. Male Superb Fairywrens in breeding plumage wear bright electric-blue and black feathers, while females and non-breeding males are a more subdued brown.

Despite their delicate appearance, they’re feisty, fast, and full of personality. Look for groups hopping around low shrubs and grasses.

🌈 Rainbow Lorikeet

With a color palette that looks straight from an artist’s brush -- bright blue head, orange breast, green wings -- the Rainbow Lorikeet is hard to miss. These noisy, social parrots zip through urban areas, especially in eastern and northern Australia.

They feed on nectar, fruit, and pollen using a special brush-tipped tongue. Planting native flowering trees like bottlebrush and grevillea will attract them to your yard.

🦜 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

These large white parrots with a lemon-yellow crest are both beautiful and incredibly loud. Common in woodlands, cities, and even capital suburbs, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are smart, curious, and often travel in noisy flocks.

They’re known to chew on wood, open garbage bins, and even learn how to unlock bird feeders—sometimes a bit too clever for their own good!

🪶 Emu

The Emu is Australia’s largest bird and the second-tallest bird in the world (after the Ostrich). Flightless but fast, Emus can run up to 50 km/h and roam across most of mainland Australia.

These shaggy-feathered giants are often seen in open scrubland, grasslands, and even farmland. During breeding season, males take on all parenting duties—incubating the eggs and raising the chicks.

👀 Seen Any of These Aussie Birds?

If you live in Australia or have visited, you may have seen some of these feathered locals in the wild. We'll be looking for all of these and more during our Australia adventures!