The feathered stars of O’Reilly’s annual Bird Week

Noisy Pitta (Pitta versicolor)

Parading the vibrant primary colours of a rainbow the Noisy Pitta is as colourful as it is clever. This little bird uses natural items such as small stones to break up their favourite food group – snails of course!

Marbled Frogmouth (Podargus ocellatus)

Don’t be fooled by the Marbled Frogmouth’s uncanny ability to camouflage with a brown tree branch. This nocturnal species loves to hunt for prey at night and relax and roosts during the day. Often mistaken for its more common relative the Tawny Frogmouth.

Paradise Riflebird (Ptiloris paradiseus)

Boasting an unusual habit, the Paradise Riflebird drapes cast-off snake skins on the rims of their nests, either for decoration or to scare of nest robbers! Their pointy bill comes in handy for probing rotten logs and bark for insects.

Albert’s Lyrebird (Menura alberti)

Not found anywhere else on earth the Albert’s Lyrebird are mostly ground dwellers with quite the knack for mimicking other animal noises, like a kookaburra’s laugh.

Regent Bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus)

The budding blue artists of the bird-world, the male bowerbirds take elaborate measures to attract females creating a ‘saliva’ in their mouth and using leaves to paint their bowers.

Olive Whistler (Pachycephala olivacea)

This happy yet shy chappy can often be heard before it is seen with a loud and melodious tune that carries kilometres. They usually nest in dense foliage and lay two or three spotted eggs at a time.

Rufous Scrub Bird (Atrichornis rufescens) 

Little but loud (and nearly flightless) the Rufous Scrub Bird will run fast, almost mouse-like, under cover to avoid being noticed. They tend to remain in the one area and lives by itself or in pairs.