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12 of the best birdwatching spots in WA
You don't have to be a serious birdwatcher to enjoy sighting some of the State's most unique birdlife at these locations.
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You don't have to be a serious birdwatcher to enjoy sighting some of the State's most unique birdlife at these locations.
Published
9 min read
Text size
Published
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By: Monique Ceccato
Whether you’re a hardcore twitcher, an occasional bird-spotting hobbyist, or you sit somewhere in between, WA has a bird-filled wetland or forest to suit your needs.
There are literally thousands of places you can try your chances, but these are some of WA's best birdwatching spots; BYO binoculars, cameras, and walking shoes.
Cranbrook
A chain of natural salt lakes northwest of the Stirling Ranges is home to one of the most bird-rich wetland systems on private land in the South West region.
Bob’s Lake—one of the lakes in the chain—sits on the Lehmann family farm, a 20-minute drive out of Cranbrook.
Because so many bird species have been recorded breeding and feeding on the saline wetlands, the family have installed a purpose-built, publicly accessible birdhide 500m off Brickhouse Road.
Environmentalists and birdwatchers have spotted more than 160 species at Bob’s Lake, including the Eurasian coot, black swan, red-necked avocet, red-capped plover, common greenshank, and long-toed stint.
For the best birding, visit at dawn or dusk from September to November, when migratory and breeding birds return to the wetlands and feed on the lake’s saline-hardy insects, invertebrates, and vegetation.
Cheynes
The noisy scrub-bird and western bristlebird are listed as globally endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list, with fewer than 1,500 of each remaining in the wild. Both are endemic to southwestern WA, calling the coastal heathlands at Arpenteur Nature Reserve and Cheynes Beach, 65km east of Albany, home.
They’re elusive birds, seldom seen by twitchers, but their distinct calls emanating from the scrub are evidence of their presence. A third rare and elusive species—the western whipbird—rounds out the Cheynes Beach ‘big three’, a hit-list that draws birdwatchers from around the world.
Walk the sandy, 4.5km circular track from the parking area along Cheyne Rd in spring for your best chance of spotting them. And, if all else fails, the reserve’s colourful wildflower displays are a solid consolation prize.
Narrogin
Narrogin’s Dryandra Woodland National Park covers 17,870 hectares, with three campgrounds, nine hiking trails, and one 23km self-drive trail all within its bounds. In such a large park, you'll also have plenty of opportunities to add a few new bird species to your Merlin ID app.
The woodlands are the largest remnant of native vegetation in the otherwise agricultural Wheatbelt, providing feeding and breeding habitat for at least 98 bird species. Look up into the canopies of the salmon white gum and marri, and you might spot the yellow of a western shrike-tit or the brilliant blue of a blue-breasted fairywren.
Train your eyes on the ground, and you’re looking in the right place for the almost flightless malleefowl; they live in the undergrowth along with native marsupials like woylies, numbats, and bilbies. As with many birdwatching areas in WA, spring is the best time to visit.
Bremer Bay
No conservation area in WA has more diverse flora and fauna than the 330,000-hectare Fitzgerald River National Park. The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve's rugged coastal cliffs and heath thickets are home to nearly 2,000 unique plant species—including up to 135 endemic to the park—and more than 200 bird species. Honeyeaters live in the mallee and heath thickets, waterbirds at the Fitzgerald and St Mary Inlets, and eagles, terns, and sooty oyster catchers along the coastal cliffs.
Most coastal areas are accessible by 2WD, but a 4WD is recommended if you’re keen to tackle some lesser-used tracks and roads.
If you’re hoping to spot more rare and endangered species—like carnabies black cockatoos, western ground parrots, and hooded plovers—set up camp for a few nights at one of the park's two campgrounds to maximise your bird-spotting time. St Mary’s campground is for tenting only, but the Four Mile Campground has gravel-covered sites for caravans.
Wembley
City dwellers don’t need to go far to dip their toes into the world of bird-watching; it takes just five minutes to drive to Galup from Perth CBD, or 15 minutes to walk from West Leederville train station.
The 110-hectare urban wetland's central location makes it a hugely popular recreational destination, with pump tracks, padel courts, playgrounds, toilet facilities, and food trucks dotted around the lake’s perimeter to accommodate families.
A 3.5km walking track and boardwalk also circle the water, frequented by runners and bird-watchers seeking the perfect vantage point.
To the north of the lake is a shaded lookout—a great spot to set up and settle in to watch the wildlife. From there, keep your eye on the water for pink-eared ducks, yellow-billed spoonbills, black-fronted dotterels, and even some reptiles, like the southwestern snake-turtle.
Churchlands
If you’ve ever wanted to tick a great crested grebe sighting off your list, Njookenbooro / Herdsman Lake is the place you’re most likely to do it.
It’s one of urban Perth’s most important wetlands, hosting more than 100 water and migratory bird species—including the uncommon great crested grebe, nocturnal nankeen night heron, and rare freckled duck—as they rest, feed, and breed throughout the year.
Follow the 7km looped walking path around the lake’s perimeter and scour the reeds, paperbarks, and flooded gums for signs of them. Or set up with your binoculars and camera at the viewpoint at the lake's northern end. If you’d rather have an expert eye point them out for you, Birdlife WA runs a $10 guided bird walk on the third Saturday of every month.
Kimberly
With 25,000-30,000 freshwater crocodiles inhabiting its waters, croc-spotting on Lake Argyle is a popular tourist pastime. But the reptiles are hardly the most prized animal encounter at the freshwater reservoir, 75 km southeast of Kununurra.
That badge goes to the yellow chat, a small, ground-dwelling songbird endemic to Australia's northern and central arid regions. They’re rare (with some subspecies critically endangered), so spotting one is considered quite the coup in the birdwatching world.
Another 240 species of birds have been recorded on the RAMSAR-designated wetlands, including the painted snipe, long-toed stint, purple-crowned fairywren, and Mongolian plover, many of which you can see on a 6-hour bird-watching charter with Lake Argyle Cruises.
Joondalup
In June 2026, Lake Joondalup’s $2.2 million bird-viewing structure opened to the public. Its installation was part of the wider Yellagonga Regional Park revitalisation project, giving keen birdwatchers a sheltered place to spot wildlife while preserving the natural habitat of the lake’s freshwater turtle, native water rat, and dugite populations.
Waterfowl, ducks, and black swans also live among the non-avian reed and sandbank dwellers, but it's the many raptor species you can spot from the lake’s edge that get birdwatchers most excited. Set up at one of the viewing spots in the bird-viewing structure, and have your binoculars and camera ready for sightings of little eagles, whistling kites, and square-tail kites.
On the eastern side of the lake, you can reach the viewing platform via the wheelchair- and pram-friendly network of boardwalks and manicured pathways. It’s right by the Rotary Park playground, so bring the whole family along and make a day of it.
Albany
It can be hard to know where to start—or what bird you’re even looking at—if you’re a fledgling in the bird-watching world.
Thankfully, there are groups like the Albany Bird Group that will take you under their wing. Every so often, they run guided walks around the 2.9km looped Lake Seppings Bird Walk, helping participants spot and identify some of the region’s avian species.
Check their website for the next scheduled walk, bring binoculars (or borrow some from the group), and try your luck spotting any number of the 100+ species recorded at the lake.
Southwest endemics like the red-winged fairy-wren and red-eared firetail are some of the more photogenic birds in the area, while the southern emu wren is one of the most elusive, making them some of the more sought-after birds to spot.
Exmouth
Birding in Exmouth often gets overshadowed by the Ningaloo Reef’s ‘Big 3’: whalesharks, manta rays, and turtles. But in Cape Range National Park, what paddles, wades, and nests on and around the water is just as spectacular as what lives in it.
From the purpose-built bird hide on the coastal tidal mudflats, surrounded by mangroves, you can spot any number of resident and migratory birds. Endemics include mangrove fantails and sky gerygones, and residents include the mangrove whistler, osprey, and brahminy kite.
The hide is just 100m from the carpark on the western side of the national park, and signage inside provides helpful information about the different species you might see. High tide is usually the most fruitful time to visit, with more birds roosting in the lagoon and feeding on fish in the shallows.
Broome
25km east of Broome, on Yawuru Country in Roebuck Bay, sits the Broome Bird Observatory. Scientists established the research and recreational post in 1988 to study and educate people about the 339 bird species recorded in the area to date. Of them all, sightings of the yellow chat, Asian dowitcher, common redshank, and eastern yellow wagtail are among the most sought-after.
Broome has earned the title of ‘Australia’s shorebird capital’, as many migratory species can be seen year-round, with young staying on shore for up to a year to feed and grow.
But the mudflats are most active from November to February, when all the birds have returned from the north. To reach the observatory, you’ll need a 4WD, as the road out there is sandy and corrugated.
Rockingham
The largest breeding colony of little penguins in WA resides on its namesake island, just 700m off Mersey Point in Rockingham’s Shoalwater Islands Marine Park.
Only about 110 remain, and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is fiercely protecting them by decommissioning the discovery centre, installing new boardwalks, restoring habitat, and closing the area during mating season.
Follow the 1.5km looped trail for a chance to see them, but don’t forget to look out for osprey, cormorants, crested terns, and gannets, too; the marine park's jagged, rocky islets are important roosting and nesting sites for them.
If you’re feeling particularly active, hop in a canoe or kayak and follow the 8km Shoalwater Islands Marine Park Paddle, which takes you out through Bird Island, Seal Island (where a sea lion colony lives), and Penguin Island.
