Member | Join now

By joining the biggest community of bird lovers in Australia, you can help us make a positive impact on the future of our native birdlife. The members of BirdLife Australia, along with our supporters and partners, have been powerful advocates for native birds and the conservation of their habitats since 1901.

We are also the meeting ground for everyone with an interest in birds from the curious backyard observer to the dedicated research scientist. It doesn’t matter what your interest in birds is or how much you know about them, your membership will offer you the opportunity to increase your awareness and enjoyment.

Birdlife Australia would be delighted to welcome you as a new member and we look forward to sharing our news and achievements with you throughout the coming year.

Projects
Atlas & Birdata
Beach-nesting Birds
Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo Recovery
Shorebirds 2020
Woodland Birds for Biodiversity

our-projects

Atlas & Birdata

The Atlas is one of BirdLife Australia's greatest resources, allowing us to track changes in birds across the country. Since 1998 a dedicated band of... More >

Beach-nesting Birds

BirdLife Australia’s Beach-nesting Birds project works with community volunteers across Australia to help raise awareness among beach users about... More >

Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo Recovery

BirdLife Australia has been running the Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo Recovery project since 2001. We work with various land managers, government and... More >

Shorebirds 2020

The Shorebirds 2020 program aims to reinvigorate and coordinate national shorebird population monitoring in Australia. To report on the population... More >

Woodland Birds for Biodiversity

Since European settlement one-third of Australia’s woodlands and 80% of temperate woodlands have been cleared. The Woodland Birds for Biodiversity... More >

@BirdlifeOz

Congrats to @BirdlifeOz member Patricia Ferguson for winning a Logan Eco Award for her countless hours working for birds & the environment!

The UK's first crane egg in four centuries has been laid! Congrats @WWTworldwide! http://t.co/3RhrEyjJfy

Is nowhere safe from shooting, grazing & logging? National Parks don't seem to be. We call for Fed protection now: http://t.co/CSUzaOTulb

Eagle CAM

EagleWatch

The EagleCAM project continues into its fifth year. The adult Sea-Eagles are bringing sticks to the nest, building up the rim or rail to create a deep cup-shape. Last year’s fledglings have now left the area, hopefully to learn about life in a new territory.

Check out the Sea-Eagle YouTube channel too

 


Nest rescue in action

The measure of a young eaglet

Eagle Diary

9 May

While the cameras were down, the eagle pair have substantially built up the rim of the nest. This stage of the breeding cycle has not been observed so closely before. The eagles have been heard duetting early in the morning, from another tree fairly close by.  Hopefully the eagles will return soon to the nest.  At this stage no food has been brought to the nest. In past years, later in the breeding cycle, the male has brought food for the female. Note – the current stream view is from the new camera position – viewing the action from the opposite side of the nest.

8 May

At last –  a quick evening visit to the nest by the male. We have been waiting for their return to nest renovation after the disturbance of the camera installation.

6 May

The cameras have been installed again – taking about 4 hours. The PTZ camera is in the same tree as last year, and the other is now on the nest tree, with the Infrared attachment. This is on a higher branch, looking down onto the nest bowl. Now we have 24 hour live-streaming again. Microphones are in place again. However at the moment, radio  2UE is broadcasting, from one of the nearby radio towers. Hopefully this will be fixed soon. If the volume is turned down, eagle duetting and other calls can still be heard above the radio.

20 April

Heavy rain all day and the eagles made no early morning nest visits, unlike yesterday when they brought several sticks.  Just before 3pm the male was seen catching a large fish from the river, taking it to the river roost to feed. Later after the rain stopped, they brought more sticks in the evening.

April

Nest renovation is continuing in earnest, with visits mainly in the early morning. The male brings quite long sticks, often longer than the nest is wide – well over a metre long and quite thick through. The eagles are rarely seen actually gathering the sticks – much of their behaviour other than right at the nest remains private.

March

The pair mostly visit the nest early in the morning, bringing the odd stick to the nest. They can be heard duetting from high in the nest tree or nearby. They continue to sit side by side on their favourite river roost, looking up and down the river.

February

The last sightings of the eaglets were in early February. It is not know if the adult eagles chased them from their natal territory. Hopefully the banded eaglets may be seen somewhere along the coast by other keen observers.

January 2013

For the first time we have been able to watch our young eagles out of the nest area after fledging. Both eaglets have been seen on the river roost and soaring high over the wetlands. In the past, we have not been able to watch their progress or know if they have survived. We hope to see the young birds catching their own prey, or at least attempting to. Both eaglets have been seen flying in to the river roost to grab food delivered by their parents, begging loudly as they approach. In early January the eaglets were seen together at a favourite river roost on mangroves along the Parramatta River. S4 had a large fish, but we are unsure if it was fed by the adults.

About the Sea-Eagles

White-bellied Sea-Eagle by Geoff HutchisonEstablished in 2009, EagleCAM is a live remote feed operating out of the BirdLife Discovery Centre in the Armory at Sydney Olympic Park close to the Parramatta River. EagleCAM was started and funded by a small group of BirdLife Australia volunteers, who continue to develop and operate the technology that brings the Sea-Eagles to your screen.

The White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster is a fairly common sight along the coasts and inland rivers of Australia, as well as further afield.  However, little is in fact known about their complete breeding cycle from nest building to fledging. The huge nest of large sticks is commonly placed in a high tree and the nest may be used for many years in succession.

The current pair of Parramatta River Sea-Eagles is often seen during the day on their prominent mangrove perch, loafing or feeding on a mullet or other fish from the wetlands. They may also be seen soaring overhead on up-swept wings. Their nest is hidden high in a Scribbly Gum in the Newington Nature Reserve. Each year their nest has been monitored and valuable observations made.

The EagleCAM project continues and anyone visiting the BirdLife Discovery Centre during our open hours on weekends may watch the live action as well as recordings of previous interesting behaviour. Now their breeding may also be viewed live on Ustream below.

 

Supporters

We would like to thank all of the individuals and businesses who have donated their time, skill and financial assistance to EagleCAM. Your generous support has allowed the project to continue with new improved cameras and other equipment. We particularly thank Sydney Olympic Park Authority for their Research Approval and continuing support of the EagleCAM project.