Urban birds

According to the Australian Government’s Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (April 2025), about 73% of the human  population live in our major cities. 25% live in inner and outer regional areas and the remaining 2% live in remote places. 90% of Australia’s population occupy less than 1% of our land area. Australia is one of the most urbanised nations in the world.

Continued population growth and the unbridled sprawl of urban areas resulting in significant environmental decline, greatly influences the diversity of bird species. Urban birds must cope with alterations to their habitat, threats from increased human density like increased traffic, noise and light pollution, domestic cats and dogs, etc. Some birds adapt well to urban areas and some are seriously threatened by it.

These birds mostly thrive in urban situations. Clockwise from top left: Masked Lapwing, Little Corella, Magpie, Noisy Miner, Rainbow Lorikeet and Pied Currawong.

The list of urban birds that reside permanently or seasonally in Drouin is extensive. The Friends of Drouin’s Trees bird surveys regularly report 20 to 40 species at their monitoring sites in and around the town. Our list of birds of Drouin is well over 100 species.

Research by Latrobe University suggests that birds in urban areas are either ‘adapters’ or ‘exploiters’, and some are outright ‘avoiders’.

The Eastern Rosella, Eastern Yellow Robin, Grey Butcherbird, Superb Fairy-wren, Kookaburra and Grey Fantail all tolerate urban places but in truth, probably orefer undisturbed bush.

Some urban birds are scavengers and they feed on our scraps. Some are here in winter because it is too cold in the alps. Some come here in spring and summer to breed. Most of Drouin’s birds are here, often year-round, because of our magnificent tree cover (at present), native understory (at present), and our wetlands. The habitat is suitable (at present).

These avians tend to shun urbanization: Crested Shrike-tit, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Golden Whistler, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Scarlet Robin and Grey Currawong.

If we value nature in our urban spaces, if we want to attract native wildlife, native birds, mammals, etc., we should be preserving, protecting, and increasing our native trees and shrubs. At a domestic garden level, we as residents can help by planting natives, adding a water bowl, and locking up our cats!

At a local government level, development approvals need to consider natural environment elements much more seriously. Offsetting is proven mostly not to work and should be replaced with onsetting: focus instead on local and community-based environment projects that deliver urban environments that have habitat value. Corridor connectivity should be elevated to a much higher status in urban design.

We could and should be doing a whole lot more for our urban birds.