Fauna

The Precinct is home to numerous birds, reptiles and insects.

Rainbow Bee-eater by Georgina Wilson

Overview

Fauna of Jirdarup Bushland Precinct

The Precinct is home to numerous birds, reptiles and insects.

Surveys from 1990 to 2020 have reported:

  • 68 species of birds, including some that simply fly over
  • 1 amphibian, the Western Banjo Frog
  • 16 reptiles
  • 3 introduced mammals, the common house mouse, feral cats and more recently rabbits.
Lists of birds and reptiles are included in our book, Jirdarup Bushland and the Friends who care for it. A specific publication about the birds was published in September 2024.

Recent Sightings

Recent Sightings

Margaret Turpin’s 1990 paper was the first to study Kensington Bushland’s fauna, noting 12 reptile and 17 bird species. Subsequent observations and studies have expanded this knowledge.

The first known record of a Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo was in 2007.

Research by Dr. Juliana Pille Arnold in 2019-2020 identified 38 native bee species in the area.

Quenda scratchings were reported in 2005 and 2008, with a quenda recently spotted living in a nearby garden in July 2024.

Bats were first recorded in 2023, likely transient, and foxes reappeared in November 2023 after a long absence.

Weeders found a great Trapdoor Spider home in September 2024.

The Town of Victoria Park’s famous bird waterers that were first installed in Jirdarup in 2018 have been a boon for birds and bird watchers.

Bobtail by Helen Brown