Birding Location Brochures
Canberra Birds has published several brochures to help bird observers who are new to birds, or to birding in the Canberra area.
Birding in the ACT
The Birding in the ACT brochure provides an overview of the wide variety of species found here plus an introduction to some of the best birding locations (publication mid-2025).
Birding in ACT North
This brochure describes five interesting places to go birding north of Lake Burley Griffin.
Birding in ACT South
This brochure describes five interesting places to go birding south of Lake Burley Griffin.
Birding in ACT Ranges
For those who would like to venture a bit further, this brochure describes just five of the many places to go birding west or south of the Canberra urban area.
Jerrabomberra Wetlands
Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve is Canberra’s favourite birding spot with a list of over 200 species. More than three-quarters of the species ever recorded in the ACT have turned up here at some time. This brochure describes what to look for and where to go in the reserve (publication mid-2025).
Canberra Bird Routes
Two older leaflets: each one covers some of the better known bird locations, structured as a round-trip tour that can be completed in half a day. You will need a vehicle and a map!
Bird Route 1 covers Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Kelly Swamp, the Fyshwick Sewage Treatment Works and Campbell Park. Kelly Swamp is part of the Jerrabomberra Wetlands and adjacent to the the Sewage Ponds and is Canberra’s best known and most prolific wetland. On the slopes of Mt Ainslie, Campbell Park is one of our best-known and most convenient bushland sites.
Note 1/1/2014: The Fyshwick Sewage Treatment Works are closed to visitors until further notice, so visitors must not follow the instructions for access to the works. It is possible to partly view some of the sewage ponds from alongside Dairy Road (the road to Kelly Swamp).
Bird Route 2 covers four different sites: the Australian National Botanic Gardens, two sites beside Lake Burley Griffin (Acacia Inlet and Warrina Inlet) and Callum Brae Nature Reserve, an area of Yellow Box/Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland. It could be covered in half a day or could occupy a more relaxed full day.