List of birds of Western Australia
This is a list of the wild birds found in Western Australia. The list includes introduced species, common vagrants, recently extinct species, extirpated species, some very rare vagrants (seen once) and species only present in captivity. 629 species are listed.The taxonomy is based on Christidis and Boles, 2008. Their system has been developed over nearly two decades and has strong local support, but deviates in important ways from more generally accepted schemes. This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition.
This is a list of the wild birds found in Western Australia. The list includes introduced species, common vagrants, recently extinct species, extirpated species, some very rare vagrants (seen once) and species only present in captivity. 629 species are listed.The taxonomy is based on Christidis and Boles, 2008. Their system has been developed over nearly two decades and has strong local support, but deviates in important ways from more generally accepted schemes.
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition. All of the birds below are included in the total bird count for Western Australia.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.

(A) Accidental – a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Western Australia
(E) Endemic – a species endemic to Western Australia
(I) Introduced – a species introduced to Western Australia as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions
(Ex) Extirpated – a species that no longer occurs in Western Australia although populations exist elsewhere
(X) Extinct – a species or subspecies that no longer exists.

Ostriches
Order: Struthioniformes   Family: Struthionidae
This order is not native to Western Australia, but feral populations of one species have become established.

Cassowaries and emu
Order: Casuariiformes   Family: Dromaiidae
This family of flightless ratite birds is represented by two living species in Australia. Another two species are found in New Guinea. The extinct, geographically isolated King and Kangaroo Island emus were historically considered to be separate species to mainland emus. However, genetic evidence from 2011 suggests that all three are conspecific.

Magpie goose
Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anseranatidae

The family contains a single species, the magpie goose. It was an early and distinctive offshoot of the anseriform family tree, diverging after the screamers and before all other ducks, geese and swans, sometime in the late Cretaceous. The single species is found across Australia.

Ducks, geese, and waterfowl
Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

The family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These are adapted for an aquatic existence, with webbed feet, bills that are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils.

Megapodes
Order: Galliformes   Family: Megapodiidae

Megapodiidae are represented by various species in the Australasian region. They are commonly referred to as "mound-builders" due to their habit of constructing large mounds to incubate their eggs.

Guineafowl
Order: Galliformes   Family: Numididae
Numididae are not native to Australia, but feral populations of one species exist in Western Australia.

Pheasants, grouse, and allies
Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump, with broad, relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans.

Grebes
Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.

Pigeons and doves
Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

Bustards
Order: Otidiformes   Family: Otididae

Cuckoos
Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

Frogmouths
Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Podargidae
The frogmouths are a distinctive group of small nocturnal birds related to swifts found from India across southern Asia to Australia.

Nightjars and allies
Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae

Owlet-nightjars
Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Aegothelidae
The owlet-nightjars are a distinctive group of small nocturnal birds related to swifts found from the Maluku Islands and New Guinea to Australia and New Caledonia.

Swifts
Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.

Rails, gallinules, and coots
Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

Cranes
Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Thick-knees
Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Burhinidae

Stilts and avocets
Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

Oystercatchers
Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae

Plovers and lapwings
Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

Painted-snipes
Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Rostratulidae

Jacanas
Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Jacanidae
2 species recorded [1 extant native, 1 vagrant]

Sandpipers and allies
Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

Buttonquail
Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Turnicidae

Pratincoles and coursers
Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Glareolidae

Skuas and jaegers
Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

Gulls, terns, and skimmers
Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

Tropicbirds
Order: Phaethontiformes   Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their long wings have black markings, as does the head.

Penguins
Order: Sphenisciformes   Family: Spheniscidae

Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Only one species, the little penguin, breeds on the Australian coast.

Albatrosses
Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are a family of large seabird found across the Southern and North Pacific Oceans. The largest are among the largest flying birds in the world.

Southern storm-petrels
Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Oceanitidae
The southern storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. Their flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.

Northern storm-petrels
Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Hydrobatidae

Shearwaters and petrels
Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium nasal septum, and a long outer functional primary flight feather.

Storks
Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

Frigatebirds
Order: Suliformes   Family: Fregatidae

Boobies and gannets
Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

Anhingas
Order: Suliformes   Family: Anhingidae
Anhingas or darters are cormorant-like water birds with long necks and long, straight bills. They are fish eaters which often swim with only their neck above the water.

Cormorants and shags
Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of coloured skin on the face. The bill is long, thin and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed, a distinguishing feature among the order Pelecaniformes.

Pelicans
Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are large water birds with distinctive pouches under their bills. Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes.

Herons, egrets, and bitterns
Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae

Ibises and spoonbills
Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

Osprey
Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

Hawks, eagles, and kites
Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

Barn owls
Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Owls
Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

Hoopoes
Order: Bucerotiformes   Family: Upupidae

Kingfishers
Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Bee-eaters
Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Meropidae

Rollers
Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Coraciidae

Falcons and caracaras
Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

Cockatoos
Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Cacatuidae

Old World parrots
Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittaculidae

Pittas
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pittidae

Scrub-birds
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Atrichornithidae

Bowerbirds
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Ptilonorhynchidae

Australasian treecreepers
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Climacteridae

Fairywrens
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Maluridae

Honeyeaters
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Meliphagidae

Bristlebirds
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Dasyornithidae

Pardalotes
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pardalotidae

Thornbills and allies
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Acanthizidae

Pseudo-babblers
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pomatostomidae

Quail-thrushes and jewel-babblers
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cinclosomatidae

Cuckooshrikes
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Campephagidae

Sittellas
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Neosittidae

Whipbirds and wedgebills
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Psophodidae

Australo-Papuan bellbirds
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Oreoicidae

Shrike-tits
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Falcunculidae

Whistlers and allies
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pachycephalidae

Old World orioles
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Oriolidae

Woodswallows, bellmagpies, and allies
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Artamidae

Fantails
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Rhipiduridae

Drongos
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Dicruridae

Monarch flycatchers
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Monarchidae

Shrikes
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

Crows, jays, and magpies
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

Australasian robins
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Petroicidae

Larks
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

Cisticolas and allies
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cisticolidae

Reed warblers and allies
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Acrocephalidae

Grassbirds and allies
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Locustellidae

Swallows
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

Bulbuls
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pycnonotidae

Leaf warblers
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Phylloscopidae

Bush warblers and allies
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Scotocercidae

White-eyes, yuhinas, and allies
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Zosteropidae

Starlings
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Thrushes and allies
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

Old World flycatchers
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Muscicapidae

Flowerpeckers
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Dicaeidae

Waxbills and allies
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Estrildidae

Old World sparrows
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Wagtails and pipits
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

Finches, euphonias, and allies
Order: Passeriformes   Family: Fringillidae

See also
List of Australian birds
Lists of birds by region

References

Serventy, D.L.; Whittell, H.M. (1976) [1948]. A Handbook of the Birds of Western Australia. Perth, WA, Australia: University Press of Western Australia.
Johnstone, R.E.; Storr, G.M. (1998). Handbook of Western Australian Birds. Volume 1 – Non-Passerines (Emu to Dollarbird). Oxford University Press.