Visited: all year round
Recommendation: Norfolk Island is spectactular for wildlife. The best time to go is during the summer when the migratory birds are present. The number of bird species that you see might be limited but they are wonderful and many are endemic. It is less well known for birds than Lord Howe Island but is every bit as incredible.
Norfolk Island is an amazing place. A tiny little island 2.45 hours north west of Auckland, it used to be a part of New South Wales, a huge 2000km away but still managed by its residents. However, since July 1, 2016, Norfolk Island is no longer self-governing, but is now an external territory of Australia administered by the Australian Government, with some services provided by the Queensland Government through an intergovernmental agreement.
The history of the place is incredible ranging from penal colony to holiday destination. Best of all, the opportunities for birders is unique and inspiring. I'll split this post into the main areas: the National Park, the lookouts, the beach, open areas and Phillip Island.
Pacific Robin (Petroica mulitcolor)
National Park
In the northern part of the island the National Park must be one of Australia's smallest. The tall fir trees are often covered in moss which reflects the purity of the air. This is where to find the bush birds and there are some great endemics to find here.
The prettiest has to be the Pacific Robin. Closely related to other Australian robins (but interestingly not to the New Zealand robin), it wouldn't look out of place mainland Australia at all.
Norfolk Island Green Parrot (Cyanoramphus cookii)
The Green Parrot, on the other hand, is very similar to the Kakariki of New Zealand. It is bigger but really looks pretty much identical. Last time I was on the island I spent a long time photographing this one feasting on guava in the rain.
Sadly, the Norfolk Island Parakeet is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Due to habitat loss, predation by invasive species, and competition for resources, their population plummeted to a dangerously low point in the late 20th century.
Slender-billed White-eye (Zosterops tenuirostris)
The Slender-billed White-eye is a member of the Silvereye family and the long bill is very distinctive and it uses it to dig out bugs on branches, as you can see in the photo. It is endemic to Norfolk Island and can be difficult to separate from Silvereyes, which are also on the island.
Norfolk Island Gerygone (Gerygone modesta)
The fantastic thing about Norfolk Island are all these endemics, which all count to the Australian list. And the endemics are not finished yet. The last in the National Park is the Norfolk Island Gerygone. It can be heard and seen there, but it can also be found throughout the island, with sightings reported in a variety of habitats.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica)
Island Lookouts
The island has a multitude of cliffs that are accessible (and dangerous). Some have built in lookouts like Captain Cook's and some are flat picnic areas. One of the most wonderful birding experiences I have ever had was sitting in one of these places at dusk. The Wedge-tailed Shearwater gather in rafts on the water's surface before flying in together. In the gathering darkness, you don't see them coming. A delicate thud can be heard as they crash land on the grass. They then gather their breath and waddle off to find their burrows. Not many places where you can eat your fish and chips and watch that!
Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides)
The Nankeen Kestrel has a vast range, inhabiting mainland Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, and nearby islands. It thrives in various open habitats, including temperate grasslands, open woodlands, savannahs, agricultural areas, sandy deserts and even coastal cliffs.
That is where I shot this bird. They are present on the island at certain times of the year and from these cliffs you can watch them hovering at eye level and below.
Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor)
One of my favourite sights from the Captain Cook's Lookout was the Great Frigatebird which would circle around a neighbouring small island. These majestic and ancient looking birds are such a treat to see but their unique physical features have important purposes.
Their hooked beak is well-suited for their kleptoparasitic lifestyle. They harass other birds, particularly seabirds, to force them to regurgitate their food, which the frigatebird then snatches mid-air. The powerful talons are used to grasp these stolen meals in flight.
Frigatebirds have some of the longest wingspans relative to their body size among birds. These long wings allow them to soar effortlessly for long distances over the open ocean, using minimal energy while searching for food or potential targets for kleptoparasitism.
The deeply forked tail provides maneuverability during aerial pursuits and allows for quick changes in direction while chasing other birds.
White Tern (Gygis alba)
Open areas
Just driving around Norfolk Island can net some great birds. On of my favourites was the White Tern. Pure white plumage with a blue black bill and an odd sausage tubular body make this one of the most unusual terns I have even seen. They are so remarkable. When the female lays an egg, it is straight onto a flat part of a branch. No nest, no security, nothing. When the chick hatches, it better hold on tight. In summer, you can find fluffy fledglings all around the island.
Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus)
Around the airport lived a small colony of Masked Woodswallow and I have spent some considerable time driving around trying to find them over the years. All the effort is always worth it when you find interesting birds like these and even better can photograph them.
Norfolk Island Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis xanthoprocta)
Another interesting bird is the Norfolk Island Golden Whistler. Listed as a subspecies of the mainland variety, it is very different having lost the vivid yellow colour. Both sexes have the dull colouring of the usual female Golden Whistler with a yellowish hue on under the tail. The unique appearance of the Norfolk Island Golden Whistler might be a result of adaptation to the specific island environment. With less competition for resources compared to the mainland, there might have been less pressure to develop the brighter plumage seen in other subspecies.
Alternatively, it could be caused by the founder effect, which is a genetic phenomenon where a small founder population establishes a new population on a separate island. Over time, this isolated population can develop unique characteristics due to genetic drift (random changes in gene frequencies) and selection pressures specific to the new environment.
On the beach
There are only a couple of areas on the island where you can see waders (although they are sometimes seen in surrounding fields). It is worth looking though because you never know what might turn up. Red Knots are regular migratory visitors to New Zealand each summer and some turn up on the island as well.
Red Knot (Calidris canutus)
Red Knots are incredible long-distance migratory shorebirds. Their migration journey is one of the longest of any bird species, spanning vast distances between their breeding and non-breeding grounds.
Breeding Grounds:
Red Knots breed in the high Arctic tundra regions, primarily in: Northern Canada, Alaska and Siberia.
Non-breeding Grounds:
Depending on the population, Red Knots migrate to various locations in the Southern Hemisphere for the non-breeding season. Here's a breakdown by population:
Grey-tailed Tattler (Tringa brevipes)
I enjoyed very much finding and following a Grey-tailed Tattler one year. I think it was the first time I had ever seen one and I remember loving how it would stretch out while looking for food.
They are opportunistic hunters with a diverse diet that allows them to thrive in their coastal habitats. Like the bird photographed, they search for bristle worms, small mollusks like clams, snails, and limpets. Crabs, shrimps, and other crustaceans are also on the menu for Grey-tailed Tattlers. They are particularly fond of smaller crabs and may spend considerable time manipulating and discarding shells before consuming the crab meat.
Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)
I was glad to get a clear shot of this Greater Sand Plover as they are so difficult to identify in non-breeding plumage. These migratory birds breed in high-elevation arid areas of Central Asia, favouring open habitats sometimes near water. In winter, they travel to coastal mudflats and estuaries.
Greater Sand Plovers can be found in Australia, where they are more common in the north. They are also seen in East Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. While rare, they have been spotted as vagrants in western Europe and North America.
They can be difficult to distinguish from the Siberian (previously known as the Lesser) Sand Plover, particularly when not in breeding plumage. Look for the Greater Sand Plover's larger size, heavier and longer bill, paler legs, and larger-headed appearance.
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
Whimbrel can often been seen on the island. There are places where you can get eye level with the waders and others where you look down on them. I think I was lying on the sand for this shot.
The curved shape of the bill is particularly useful for extracting crustaceans like fiddler crabs from their burrows. The curve of the bill mimics the shape of the burrow, allowing the whimbrel to reach in and snag its meal.
While the curve is great for digging and extracting prey, the bill can also be used for pecking at the surface for worms and other invertebrates. This versatility ensures whimbrels can take advantage of a variety of food sources depending on what's available.
Black Noddy (Anous minutus)
Phillip Island
Another experience of a lifetime was visiting Phillip Island. There is no landing area on the island so the tiny fishing boat pulls up as close as possible to rocks and everyone has to jump out. I am not terribly athletic but when there are good birds involved, I'll give most things a go. I tried not to think about how I was going to get back on to the boat as I hurdled off it.
A long, steep climb met us to the top of the island. I was tired and red faced (I hate hills) afterwards but oh gosh, it was worth it. You don't remember the pain when you have cracker photos of incredible birds. We lots of nesting birds starting with the Black Noddy. These seemed to be in a time share arrangement in this tree!
Circling around us and sometimes conveniently landing were Black-winged Petrel. A small but quite elegant seabird, I loved being so close to them. The first photo here is from a boat trip where the skipper threw in shark liver and the birds zoomed in to pick it up.
Black-winged Petrel (Pterodroma nigripennis)
Further up the hill were Masked Booby sitting on shallow scrapes with their eggs. They hold the title of the largest member of the booby family, sporting a weight of up to 2.2 kilograms (almost 5 pounds) and a wingspan reaching up to 1.7 meters (over 5.5 feet).
Unlike many other booby species that forage in groups, Masked Boobies tend to be more independent hunters while out at sea. They may come together in loose congregations when returning to breeding islands, but their feeding style is more solitary.
Masked Boobies have a fascinating way to regulate their body temperature in hot environments. They'll stand with their backs to the sun, exposing their black facial mask and throat pouch. This allows heat to escape through these bare areas by convection and conduction, keeping them cool.
Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra)
Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda)
The highlight of this and all other visits was getting to the top of Phillip Island. We could see all around the island and down the back were some sheer cliffs. This was the domain of the Red-tailed Tropicbird. We had seen them nesting in the hollow at the bottom of a tree. This adult was seeing off another bird showing too much interest in the chick behind.
But the very best part of seeing these incredible creatures was watching them flying. As part of their courtship displays, they partake in some amazing aerial acrobatics flying backwards, diving and circling. I just loved watching them reverse like we would park a car!
Their long, pointed tails and narrow wings give them exceptional control over their flight, allowing them to navigate the updrafts and downdrafts over the ocean with remarkable precision.
When hunting fish, Red-tailed Tropicbirds will often swoop down from great heights, using their agility to chase and capture their prey just above the water's surface.
I just about floated back down to the boat, partly euphoria and partly exhaustion. It was quite choppy on the rocks which were mossy and by now covered in water. The skipper had to pull the boat in and members of the group jump on board one by one. I was last and I could tell a couple of blokes had stayed behind to help me. They planned to hoist me up by my backside and shove me on the boat. No bloody chance. I jumped like everyone else and thankfully made it.
Boat Launch on Phillip Island
Norfolk Island - go there!