Birds of Melbourne
What has actually been seen around Melbourne: 182 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 182 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 32,178 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Carrion Crow
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 10 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Melbourne
182 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Melbourne (East Riding of Yorkshire) since 2010, across 32,178 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.
The records split between garden birds (53%) and waterbirds (39%), so a feeder in Melbourne sees the familiar Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Blackbird, while Mallard and others turn up on nearby water.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Marsh-Harrier.
Records peak in March and are lowest in October — about 3.3 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and winter visitors), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.
Seaton Ross, 4 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (113 against 182). Birds logged far more often around Melbourne than there include Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Great Cormorant and Gadwall.
Daylight runs from 17 h 7 min at midsummer to 7 h 24 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Melbourne
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 766 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 761 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 727 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 713 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 701 |
| 6 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 692 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 682 |
| 8 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 645 |
| 9 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 630 |
| 10 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 624 |
| 11 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 616 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 593 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 593 |
| 14 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 592 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 590 |
| 16 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 587 |
| 17 | Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus | 587 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 579 |
| 19 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 569 |
| 20 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 506 |
Records by month
What to put out in Melbourne
Seasonal bird notes for East Riding of Yorkshire
What's arriving, what to feed and when to clean feeders, written for UK gardens. One email a month at most.
Nearby places
Frequently asked
What birds visit gardens in Melbourne?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Melbourne are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Wren, based on 32,178 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Melbourne?
182 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Melbourne?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:31.
Sources
- GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
- GeoNames gazetteer (place, population, elevation)
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.