Bird watching

Sydney Olympic Park is one of the best bird watching spots in Sydney.

Cost

Free!

Opening hours

Daily

Sunrise to sunset

Locations

Waterbird refuge, Badu mangrove, Coastal saltmash, Kronos Hill, Narawang wetlands and Brickpit.

Image of two people bird watching over a lake

With over a quarter of Australia’s bird species being recorded as being spotted, check out some of these locations on your next visit to the Park and look for some of our feathered friends in our unique ecological communities.

Locations:

Waterbird Refuge

The best location in the Park to see birds, the nationally recognised Waterbird Refuge is a must visit for any seasoned or new twitchers. The refuge provides habitat for both local and migratory species of birds and is an important breeding and feeding refuge supported by our biodiversity efforts.

Look for:

Any type of native waterbird such as ducks (Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal, Pacific Black), pelicans, spoonbills, swans or Black Winged Stilts. Migratory shorebirds such as the Bar-tailed Godwit and Latham’s Snipe (all the way from southeast Siberia!) were recently recorded.

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Badu mangroves and boardwalk

Starting at the Education Centre, the Badu Mangroves boardwalk makes for an excellent start to your bird watching adventures. The Badu Mangroves ecosystem is home to a wide array of flora and fauna. With over 40 hectares of mangroves, there is a complex ecosystem of birds, fish and crabs.

Look for:

Sacred Kingfishers, estuarine crabs, Australasian darters.

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Coastal saltmarsh

An endangered ecological community protected in the Park, the saltmarsh is great spot to look for waders and woodland birds who love the surrounding trees and environment.

Look for:

Woodland birds such as the Superb Fairy Wren.

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Kronos Hill and the Northern Water Feature

Kronos Hill is connected by grassy corridors for the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog. These ponds are stepping stones between the larger wetlands of Eastern Pond and the Northern Water Feature. The Northern Water feature captures runoff from the Sydney Olympic Park town centre, and woodland birds make use of the dense shrubbery.

Look for:

Musk Lorikeets, Black Shouldered Kites, Glossy Ibis, Dusky Moorhen, swallows.

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Narawang wetlands

Close to Haslams Creek, a 20 hectare pond system that includes 22 wildlife habitat ponds home to a variety of water birds, as well as the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog.

Look for:

Australian Reed-Warblers, Eurasian Coots, Golden-headed Cisticolas.

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Brickpit conservation area

A rich habitat for native wildlife, the Brickpit is a slowly maturing quarry landscape supporting viable breeding populations of Green and Golden Bell Frogs as well as home to many wildlife species of birds. Its relatively large size, mix of wetland and terrestrial habitats create ideal habitats for a multitude of native species including wrens, raptors, and migratory shorebirds. 

Look for:

Wrens, Australian Bittern, Black Falcon, Latham's Snipe.

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