This list contains all the bird species reported from the Goonoo Forest since the first known survey in 1952 as at November 21, 2025. Goonoo Forest is defined as including all of the following; Goonoo National Park, Goonoo State Conservation Area & Coolbaggie Nature Reserve - Eastern Section.
Key:
Current status in Goonoo forest, C = Common, U=Uncommon, R=Rare.
NSW Threatened Species Act status: E=Endangered, V=Vulnerable.
Visitor: S=Summer Visitor, W=Winter Visitor.
Emu (C)
Common on trails and surrounding farmland. Declining on western slopes.
Malleefowl (R) (E)
Only known location where this species builds mounds in forest habitat. Population collapse since early 21st C fires.
Waterbirds, shorebirds
Maned Duck (U)
Dams and seasonal waterholes
Pacific Heron (U)
Occasional visitor to dams only
Pacific Black Duck (U)
Occasional visitor to dams and seasonal waterholes.
Australasian Grebe (R)
Rare visitor to dams only. Last record 2023.
Little Pied Cormorant (R)
Rare visitor to dams only. Last record 2010.
Masked Lapwing (R)
Rare visitor. Prefers open grassy country. Last record 2025.
Little Black Cormorant (R)
Rare visitor to dams only. Single record from 2010.
White-faced Heron (R)
Rare visitor to dams only. Last record 2023.
Black-fronted Dotterel (R)
Rare visitor to dams only. Single record from 2020.
Grey Teal (R)
Rare visitor to dams only. Single record from 2021.
Great Cormorant (R)
Rare visitor to dams only. Last record 2025.
Nankeen Night Heron (R)
Rare visitor to dams and seasonal waterholes. Last record 2025.
Pigeons, doves
Common Bronzewing (C)
Throughout forested areas, often on ground.
Crested Pigeon (U)
Open grassy areas and surrounding farmland.
Peaceful Dove (U)
Always near water. Ground feeder.
Diamond Dove (R)
Rare visitor. Always near water. Ground feeder. Last record 2024.
Kites, hawks, eagles, falcons
Nankeen Kestrel (U)
Feeds on large invertebrates and small vertebrates.
Wedge-tailed Eagle (U)
Primarily along forest/farmland boundary. Opportunistic hunter & scavenger.
Brown Goshawk (U)
Forest canopy hunter.
Square-tailed Kite (U) (V) (S)
Feeds on foliage birds and insects. Two breeding pairs reported 2025. Declining on western slopes.
Whistling Kite (R)
Rare visitor. Opportunistic hunter & scavenger. Last record 2025.
Black Kite (R)
Rare visitor. Opportunistic hunter & scavenger. Last record 2022.
Black-shouldered Kite (R)
Rare visitor. Prefers open country. Feeds on rodents, insects and small lizards. Last record 2022.
Brown Falcon (R)
Rare visitor. Opportunistic feeder preferring open country. Last record 2023.
Australian Hobby (R)
Rare visitor. Open country feeder, captures aerial prey including small birds. Last record 2021.
Collared Sparrowhawk (R)
Forest canopy hunter. Occasional visitor. Last record 2024. Possibly under-reported.
Little Eagle (R) (V)
Last record 2025, dark morph nesting.
Quails, button-quails
Brown Quail (U)
More common in wet seasons.
Painted Button-quail (U)
Common during wet seasons. Produces distinctive round scrapes in leaf litter when feeding. Declining on western slopes.
Red-chested Button-quail (R)
Only recorded in 2021/22 wet season.
Little Button-quail (R)
Possibly under-reported. Last record 2023.
Cockatoos, parrots, lorikeets
Galah (C)
Small flocks only.
Eastern Rosella (C)
Seen in pairs or small groups throughout forest.
Australian (Mallee) Ringneck (C)
Seen in pairs or small groups throughout forest.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (C)
Noisy, conspicuous. Seen in smaller flocks than urban/agricultural land.
Glossy Black-Cockatoo (C) (V)
Feeds exclusively on casuarina nuts. Populations vary according to conditions. Generally seen in pairs with young, coming together at dusk to water at dams.
Red-rumped Parrot (U)
Occasional visitor. Generally bordering farmland.
Turquoise Parrot (U) (V)
Seen in pairs or small groups particularly along western creeks.
Cockatiel (R)
Rare visitor. Last recorded in 2001.
Little Lorikeet (R) (V)
Historical records from 1959,1963 & 1972. Last seen 2024.
Superb Parrot (R) (V)
Only one record 2025 at Riley’s Dam.
Musk Lorikeet (R)
Rare visitor. Last recorded 2024.
Australian King Parrot (R)
Rare visitor. Small groups. Last record 2023.
Red-winged Parrot (R)
Rare visitor. Last recorded 2015.
Bluebonnet (R)
Rare visitor. Last record 2023.
Crimson Rosella (R)
Single record from 2021.
Budgerigar (R)
Single record from 2021.
Cuckoos
Fan-tailed Cuckoo (C)
Host species; fairy-wrens & thornbills. Only cuckoo found all year round in forest.
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo (U) (S)
Host species; fairy-wrens and thornbills.
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (U) (S)
Host species; fairy-wrens and thornbills, particularly yellow-rumped.
Pallid Cuckoo (U) (S)
Host species; honeyeaters, robins & woodswallows.
Eastern Koel (R) (S)
Host species; magpie-lark, large honeyeaters. Single record from 2021.
Black-eared Cuckoo (R) (S)
Host species; fairy-wrens, thornbills & Speckled Warblers.
Channel-billed Cuckoo (R) (S)
First recorded 2025. Host species; ravens & currawongs.
Night birds
Tawny Frogmouth (U)
Possibly under-reported
Australian Owlet-nightjar (U)
Possibly under-reported
White-throated Nightjar (U)
Possibly under-reported
Australian Boobook (R)
Possibly under-reported. Last recorded 2010.
Eastern Barn Owl (R)
Possibly under-reported. Single record from 2001.
Barking Owl (R) (V)
Possibly under-reported. Single record from 2023.
Spotted Nightjar (R)
Rare visitor. Migratory. Possibly under-reported. Declining on western slopes. Recorded 1952 & 2025.
Kingfishers
Laughing Kookaburra (C)
In forested areas.
Sacred Kingfisher (U) (S)
Often seen away from water.
Bee-eater, dollarbird, treecreepers
White-throated Treecreeper (C)
Dominant in all wooded habitats
Brown Treecreeper (C) (V)
Primarily in Box woodland along creeks, particularly in western parts of forest. Declining on western slopes.
Varied Sittella (V) (C)
Feeds from top of trees. Declining on western slopes.
Rainbow Bee-eater (U) (S)
Summer visitor. Primarily along forest/farmland edge.
Oriental Dollarbird (R) (S)
Rare summer visitor. Last record 2022.
Babblers, quail-thrush, cuckoo-shrikes
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (C)
Commonly seen and heard in upper canopy of forest trees.
Grey-crowned Babbler (C) (V)
Communal nest builder. Declining on western slopes.
White-browed Babbler (C)
Communal nest builder. Declining on western slopes.
Spotted Quail-thrush (U)
Only in areas with thick leaf litter. Possibly under-reported.
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (R)
Prefers open country and margins of farmland. Last record 2023.
Small bush birds
Superb Fairy-wren (C)
Common wherever there is a patch of dense understory.
Silvereye (C)
Small active bird found in most habitats.
Mistletoebird (C)
Generally high in canopy
Spotted Pardalote (C)
Commonly nests in earth banks along trails. Canopy feeder.
Striated Pardalote (C)
Canopy feeder.
Weebill (C)
Feeds mainly in she-oak and native pine areas with thick shrubby understory.
Western Gerygone (S)
Migratory.
Speckled Warbler (C) (V)
Particularly in mature Casuarina or Callitris groves. Declining on western slopes.
White-throated Gerygone (C) (S)
Forages in forest/woodland foliage often in high canopy. Migratory.
Purple-backed Fairy-wren (U)
Shyer than Superb species, dense understory only.
Chestnut-rumped Heathwren (U)
Only in mallee and thick low shrubby areas.
Thornbills
Yellow Thornbill (C)
Feeds in foliage of large shrubs, small trees, particularly she-oaks and native pine.
Yellow-rumped Thornbill (C)
Mainly ground feeder particularly on forest edges bordering farmland.
Buff-rumped Thornbill (C)
Prefers woodland with open grassy or leaf litter understory. Feeds on ground and all heights.
Inland Thornbill (C)
Prefers shrubland and woodland with dense understory.
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (R)
Generally only in mallee and thick low shrubby areas. Declining on western slopes. Last record 2021.
Striated Thornbill (R)
Feeds in upper canopy of eucalypts. Single record from 2021.
Brown Thornbill (R)
Rare visitor. Last record 2025.
Honeyeaters
Yellow-faced Honeyeater (C)
Dominant honeyeater in forest
White-eared Honeyeater (C)
Dominant honeyeater in forest
White-plumed Honeyeater (C)
Often near water.
Striped Honeyeater (C)
Omnivore that aggressively protects breeding territory.
Noisy Miner (C)
Expanding species. Aggressively defends territory.
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (C)
Aggressive omnivore in small groups.
Red Wattlebird (C)
Aggressive bird protective of food sources. Feeds mostly in canopy.
Noisy Friarbird (C)
Forms large noisy flocks to feed on flowering gums.
Brown-headed Honeyeater (C)
Fast moving canopy feeder.
Yellow-throated Miner (U)
Possibly under-reported.
Blue-faced Honeyeater (U)
Aggressive omnivore feeds on tree trunks, ground and insects in flight.
Little Friarbird (U)
Sometimes seen with flocks of Noisy Friarbirds.
Yellow-plumed Honeyeater (U)
Only in mallee areas. Common in Coolbaggie NR East
Fuscous Honeyeater (R)
Rare visitor. Single record from 2025.
Brown Honeyeater (R)
First recorded in 2025.
Singing Honeyeater (R)
Prefers more open arid habitats. Single record from 2024.
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (R)
Prefers more closed forests to the east. Single record from 2016.
Black Honeyeater (R)
Rare visitor to mallee areas. Last record 2025.
White-naped Honeyeater (R)
Rare visitor from east and south. Last record 2024.
Painted Honeyeater (R) (V) (S)
Rare visitor. Known from areas to north and west of forest. Last record 2017.
White-fronted Honeyeater (R)
Rare visitor. Single record from 2025.
Crimson Chat (R)
Prefers more open arid habitats. Small flock seen 2023. Last record 2024.
Medium bush birds
Grey Shrike-thrush (C)
Vocal forest woodland bird.
Rufous Whistler (C)
Vocal forest woodland bird. Declining on western slopes.
White-winged Triller (C) (S)
Summer visitor
Rufous Songlark (C) (S)
Vocal summer visitor.
Golden Whistler (C) (W)
Winter visitor
Olive-backed Oriole (U) (S)
Summer visitor particularly along creeks.
Australasian Pipit (R)
Prefers grassy open farmland. Last record 2025.
Crested Shrike-tit (R)
Rare visitor. Feeds along creeks on gums with shedding bark. Recorded, 1952,1959,1963 & 2025. Declining on western slopes.
Brown Songlark (R) (S)
Prefers open areas along forest/farmland edges. Last record 2023.
Gilbert’s Whistler (R) (V)
Inhabits mallee and thick low shrubby areas only. Last sighting 2006.
Woodswallows
White-browed Woodswallow (C) (S)
Visiting population varies according to conditions. Declining on western slopes.
Dusky Woodswallow (C) (V)
Only woodswallow present all year round. Declining on western slopes.
Masked Woodswallow (U) (S)
Visiting population varies according to conditions. Sometimes 1-2 birds with other Woodswallows.
White-breasted Woodswallow (R) (S)
Visiting population varies according to conditions. Last record 2025.
Little Woodswallow (R) (S)
Rare visitor. Possibly under-reported due to similarity with Dusky. Last record 2025.
Butcherbirds, magpie, ravens, currawong
Grey Butcherbird (C)
Forested areas.
Pied Butcherbird (C)
Forested areas.
Australian Magpie (C)
Forested areas.
Magpie-lark (C)
Mud nester present throughout forest.
Pied Currawong (C)
Large omnivore that feeds at all levels
White-winged Chough (C)
Communal mud nester forming large vocal flocks.
Australian Raven (C)
All areas.
Apostlebird (U)
Occasional visitor particularly on forest edges.
Little Raven (U)
Possibly under-reported.
Torresian Crow (R)
Possibly under-reported. Last record 2017.
Flycatchers
Grey Fantail (C)
Perch feeder from ground and lower canopy.
Willie Wagtail (C)
Perch feeder from ground and lower canopy.
Leaden Flycatcher (U) (S)
Generally only near creeks with water.
Restless Flycatcher (R)
Rare visitor to forest edges from farmland. Declining on western slopes. Last record 2025.
Robins
Eastern Yellow Robin (C)
Inquisitive bird in most wooded and forest types. Declining on western slopes.
Red-capped Robin (C)
Particularly along trails and feeding from fencelines. Declining on western slopes.
Jacky Winter (C)
Perch feeder from ground and lower canopy. Declining on western slopes.
Hooded Robin (R) (E)
Primarily along forest/farm interface. Declining on western slopes. One breeding pair known 2020-2025.
Swifts, swallows, martins
Welcome Swallow (U)
Often feeds around dams.
Tree Martin (U) (S)
Often feeds around dams. Requires tree hollows for breeding.
White-throated Needletail (U) (V) (S)
Usually very high above ground. Probably under-reported.
Fairy Martin (R) (S)
Often feeds around dams. Last record 2025.
Pacific (Fork-tailed) Swift (R) (S)
Usually very high above ground. Probably under-reported.
Finches
Double-barred Finch (C)
Grassy areas near water.
Red-browed Finch (C)
Grassy areas near water.
Diamond Firetail (U) (V)
Grassy areas near water. Occasionally 1-2 with other finches. Declining on western slopes.
Zebra Finch (R)
Prefers drier more open habitats. Single record from 2024.
Plum-headed Finch (R)
Rare visitor, particularly in northern parts of forest. Last record 2022.
Historical, Vagrant & Unverified Records
Red-backed Kingfisher
Historical record 1959.
Bush Stone-curlew (E)
Historical record 1959. Declining on western slopes. Prefers open grassland.
Ground Cuckoo-shrike
Historical record 1963. Declining species. Prefers open grassland.
Flame Robin (V) (W)
Historical record 1981.
Banded Lapwing
Historical record 1982. Prefers open grassland.
White-fronted Chat (V)
Historical record 1982.
Common Starling
Historical record 1982. Possibly under-reported.
Straw-necked Ibis
Historical record 1982.
Crested Bellbird
Historical record 1982. Prefers drier open country.
Southern Whiteface (V)
Historical record 1988. Declining on western slopes. Prefers grassy Box areas.
Rock (Feral) Dove
Historical record 1988. Possibly under-reported.
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Historical record 1991.
Black-chinned Honeyeater (V)
Historical record 1991. Declining on western slopes..
Little Wattlebird
Vagrant or mis-identification. Out of range. Single record 1997
Hardhead
Probable mis-allocation to Goonoo. Single record 2008
Australasian Darter
Probable mis-allocation to Goonoo. Single record 2008
Australian Pelican
Probable mis-allocation to Goonoo. Single record 2008
Australian White Ibis
Probable mis-allocation to Goonoo. Single record 2008
Pied (Black-winged) Stilt
Probable mis-allocation to Goonoo. Single record 2008
Australian Reed-Warbler
Probable mis-allocation to Goonoo. Single record 2008
Rose Robin (W)
Vagrant. Single record 2022.
Satin Flycatcher
Vagrant. Out of range. Single record 2025
Sources
· Collected papers of Keith Hindwood, ca 1930-1971. Bird lists from Goonoo state forest, 1952,1959,1963. Held at State Library of NSW.
· eBird records as at Nov 21 2025
· Bennett, AF., Haslem, A., Garnett, ST., Loyn, RH., Woinarski, JCZ., Ehmke, G. (2024) Declining but not (yet) threatened: a challenge for avian conservation in Australia., Emu – Austral Ornithology; 124(1), 123-145.
· Dubbo Field Naturalist and Conservation Society. (2024), Bird List of the Dubbo Area.
· Heron, S.J. (1973). Birds of Goonoo State Forest, NSW. Emu – Austral Ornithology; 73(3), 119-123.
· Hosking, T., Hosking, J., & Geering, D. (2015). “Birds” In "Plants and Animals of the Dubbo Region”. Dubbo Field Naturalists and Conservation Society.
· Morris, A.K. (1984). “Birds” In “The Dubbo Region: A Natural History”. Dubbo Field Naturalists and Conservation Society.
· Paull, D. on behalf of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. (2002). Community Data Search & Biodiversity Survey of the Brigalow Belt South.
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