Darwin is a self-proclaimed "city of birds", and with hundreds of unique species calling the Top End home — from screeching curlews to colourful finches, and even the odd all-black kookaburra — it's easy to see why.
There are about 200 species of bush birds, and another 50 to 100 species of waterbirds, seabirds and shorebirds, that live in the Top End.
Charles Darwin University ornithology researcher, Professor John Woinarski, says the monsoonal climate and sparse human population makes the Top End a refuge for species that have disappeared from other parts of Australia.
"We share this environment with a whole range of birds that are in your face, funny, eccentric and fascinating, and that behave as if they own the place. Compared to most other cities in Australia, they're almost all Australian native species — not dominated by flocks of birds introduced from Europe as in many southern areas."— Professor John Woinarski, Charles Darwin University
Professor Woinarski believes the "in your face", colourful and loud birds are what helps give Darwin its "city of birds" reputation.
"I think there's global recognition that it's one of the great destinations for birdwatchers and for nature lovers. We've got the fortune that so many of the important bird species, and their key habitats, are on Aboriginal land, and Indigenous ranger groups play a very important role in looking after those lands."— Professor John Woinarski
From the dry red-dirt outback, to tropical wetlands and the stone country of Kakadu, Professor Woinarski describes the Top End as an "attractive tapestry of habitats".
"If you were simply to listen to the bird soundscape of Darwin, you could tell what season it was just by the calls," he said.
In one very lucky rural Darwin backyard, an all-black blue-winged kookaburra is a frequent visitor — a bird that is even rarer than an albino kookaburra.
Professor Woinarski says it's "quite an unusual finding" that is likely caused by a mutation in the bird's melanin production. He describes it as an "unpredictable, complete wonder".
As citizen science project The Aussie Bird Count kicks off this month, here are some of the birds that have been spotted across the Top End recently.
"It's an ever-enticing game to try to come to grips with birds, and they give you a different perspective on the natural world. It's a never-ending quest to try to understand nature and how wonderful it is."— Professor John Woinarski
