Topic 28 and 30 - Bird Biogeography and Bird on JCU

Australian Bird Biogeography

Australia is the origin of songbirds, pigeons/doves, and a few other deep lineages. Australia has some very deep ‘Gondwana’ species (e.g, ratites, passerines). Australia also has a few shared groups with south east Asia and Africa (pittas, sunbirds, rollers, finches, etc).

Australia’s Bird Diversity

Australia’s birds are highly unique and diverse. Australia has approximately 780 species, of which a large population breed here. The vast majority of Australia’s ‘land birds’ are endemic. However, we also have to consider New Guinea as we have a long shared history, even if we have different habitats. For example, many of New Guinea’s birds are older than New Guinea itself.

Groups that Australia doesn’t have

• humming birds

• hornbills

• pheasants

• vultures

• woodpeckers

Groups that have prospered in Australia

• parrots

• honeyeaters

• raptors

• pigeons/doves

• kingfishers

• bowerbirds

Birds on JCU

• kookaburras

• parrots

• honeyeaters

• great bowerbird

• bush curlew

• mistletoe bird

• rainbow bee eater

• sunbird

• brush turkey

• birds of prey

• owls

• figbird

• Australian magpie

• swallows

• woodswallows

• common (Indian) myna