Firetail Birdwatching Tours

16/10/2024

Our 2024 Mallee Birding and Wildlife tour was a great success. We visited the Grampians NP, Little Desert NP, Ngarkat CP in SA, Murray Sunset NP extensively, Wyperfeld NP, Hattah-Kulkyne NP, plus many smaller reserves in the mallee region, the various wetlands of the Murray Valley from Sea lake down to Swan Hill and Kerang, the Mid-Murray valley and northern plains of Victoria and the box ironbark country around Wedderburn and Inglewood. Quality time spent in quiet and often remote landscapes enjoying the birdlife, animals, reptiles, insects and plant life. We found 180 species of bird with just the Chestnut Quail thrush weirdly not appearing. We enjoyed 3 nights of spotlighting, found 10 species of reptile, 7 sp of mammal, and 7 sp of flowering orchid despite the drier than usual conditions . And we managed not to get bogged once :-) A lovely group to show around, and many great photos taken too. I cannot wait until October 2025 to run this again https://ebird.org/checklist/S198656239

13/10/2024

Last minute spaces have come up for our small group tours of the Western Treatment Plant (Werribee) this weekend. Friday 18th Oct at 1pm has one or two spots and Saturday 19th Oct at 1pm has 3 spots available. $150 per person Lots of action down there currently with spring arrivals and even a national rarity (a Northern Shoveler). Email [email protected] for more information

27/08/2024

Our tours are coming up to a 20 year anniversary ! Our first tour was in October 2004 for 5 days around northern Victoria. I remember a Crimson Chat was a bonus during a tour where we located most of the mallee specialities as well as seeing the critically endangered Plains-wanderer . I am delighted that now in 2024 I am joined by Christian Doerig as my trusted colleague, a great birder and wonderful person. I am so grateful for the support from the birding community, and from the many people who have appreciated our commitment to providing a professional service. Attached are some images from recent tours
We still have space on some small group tours planned for spring 2024. See https://www.birdingvictoria.com.au/group-tours for more details of our October 7 day NW Vic mallee tour and our November 12 day Megatour right around the state ! Happy birding :-)

16/05/2024

We run a variety of tours, tailored to peoples interests. This week was a general birding and wildlife tour visiting a range of spectacular landscapes, with some iconic Aussie animals on the radar. Enjoy.....

21/04/2024

Friday 26th April and Saturday 27th April spotlighting tours targeting Plains-wanderers. based from Pyramid Hill still NOW FULLY BOOKED

06/04/2024

A small number of spots are now available for grassland spotlighting tours in northern Victoria this April and May. Likely to fill quickly. Details at

Since 2004 we have run spotlighting walks in the native grassland reserves of northern Victoria in search of this critically endangered and unique bird which is endemic to Australia. The Plains-wanderer is the sole member of its family Pedionomidae with DNA results revealing its closest living relat...

28/03/2024

Saturday 13th April, tour of the Western Treatment Plant from 7.30am to 12 noon, has had some late cancellations and spaces are now available. These tours aim to give people a taste of this extraordinary site, visiting the best areas at the time of the tour and taking the tides into account. You'll get tips on bird id, and time to soak in the abundance of birdlife. Some excellent photographic opportunities are virtually guaranteed. We might even spot a rarity.
email [email protected] for more information

26/03/2024

Having a great start to the year with around 290 species seen already for 2024 on tours around Victoria ! The rest of the year is looking just as busy. Following a few years of good rainfall, bird numbers remain high throughout the region. We always aim to get the best views possible of the birds we see, and sometimes I am able to record these moments. Here’s just a few, with details in captions. We are gradually increasing our tour options as our availability allows, with small group tour dates being added and private tours still available year around.

12/01/2024

Lots happening here at FBT. We have added a few more dates for shared Werribee WTP tours in April. The year ahead is filling fast, but still opportunities to book private tours when it suits you or shared trips as advertised.
It is a real pleasure and honour running these tours. The new year began with 5 days showing a beautiful young couple from Taiwan around southern and central Victoria, shortly after their wedding celebrations. We were a great team of birders. spotters and occasional photographers. Billed as our maximum bird tour, we did well with 211 species recorded, most of which were lifers for our guests. We also encountered some cool mammals ( Greater Gliders were a highlight ), plus enjoyed the wonderful and varied landscapes we have down here. Attached are a few of many images captured to share the joy. Full checklist here https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S158422933

31/12/2023

Our annual 12 day group tour in November, right around the state's best birding sites, went extremely well again this year and a full trip report may be easily downloaded at this link https://www.birdingvictoria.com.au/victoria-megatour-12-days
Our next scheduled group tour is sure to be a good one, a week exploring Gippsland's best birding sites in the peak of summer https://www.birdingvictoria.com.au/gippsland-birding-and-wildlife-tour
As 2023 comes to an end I'd like to wish you all a happy and birdy new year. It's been a huge year for us here, and 2024 will start with a bang, a 5 day tour around Southern and Central Victoria.
Cheers from Simon and the team

29/10/2023

A privately run 3 day Western Victoria highlights tour this month was very successful, despite some challenging weather conditions. As the focus was on photography there were plenty of close encounters had, with some patience and good positioning. For a three day trip this tour delivers a great range of experiences and a pretty high species list https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S153023069

19/10/2023

19/10/2023

Back to back Northern Vic and Mallee tours this last two weeks have been fabulous. Decent weather, so many birds, and great company. We've been out to the back blocks of the mallee wilderness, seeking out sightings of many scarce and endangered birds in the northern country, and enjoying the many wetlands that are only going to get better as the summer progresses. Later in spring/early summer the focus will shift a little more to southern Victoria https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S151998355 https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S152374963

28/09/2023

During last week's highly targeted private birding tour of northern and north-west Victoria all target species were seen very well, with a little extra help from some sublime weather conditions, plus some nice surprises such as Black Honeyeater and Red-backed Kingfisher. The "big five" of mallee birding all gave us stunning views this trip. Malleefowl, Mallee Emu-wren, Striated Grasswren, Chestnut Quail-thrush and Red-lored Whistler. The focus for this tour was not photography, but I took a few shots to share when possible. Early spring is a perfect time to tour the mallee region, a set date tour 6th to 12th October 2024 is confirmed to run, why not join us ? https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S150849936

23/06/2023

Exciting times here with our birding and nature tours. We have been able to update our website with a number of set date small group tours ranging from a half day to a week or more, now that we have nearly worked though the backlog created by pandemic lockdowns. We are grateful for the support and patience we’ve received as we traversed these difficult times
Full details of these tours can be found at https://www.birdingvictoria.com.au/group-tours
We also plan to add dates for grassland spotlighting tours looking for Plains-wanderer in autumn 2024. As a summary here is a calendar of upcoming shared tours. Best way to contact us is via the contact page on the website. Grey Goshawk image attached, seen recently on a cold winter's day here in the Melbourne suburbs. It's always worth getting out in the field

5th to 6th AUGUST 2023 - Central Victoria - budget camping tour (2 days) - including Swift Parrot surveys

15th SEPTEMBER 2023 - Woodlands and Wetlands tour (1 day )

23rd to 25th OCTOBER 2023 - Western Victoria Highlights tour (3 days)

19th to 30th NOVEMBER 2023 - Annual Victoria Megatour (12 days) This tour is guaranteed to run and there is just one space left

10th DECEMBER 2023 - Werribee WTP tours ( 7.30am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5.30pm)

4th to 8th JANUARY 2024 - Maximum Bird Tour (5 days) This tour is guaranteed to run and expressions of interest are welcome

20th JANUARY 2024 - Werribee WTP tours ( 7.30am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5.30pm)

10th to 16th FEBRUARY 2024 - Gippsland Birding and Wildlife Tour (7 days)

25th FEBRUARY 2024 - Werribee WTP tours ( 7.30am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5.30pm)

16th MARCH 2024 - Werribee WTP tours ( 7.30am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5.30pm)

23rd to 27th SEPTEMBER 2024 - Maximum Bird Tour (5 days)

6th to 12th OCTOBER 2024 - Mallee Birding and Wildlife tour (7 days)

18th to 29th NOVEMBER 2024 - Victoria Megatour (12 days)

25/04/2023

Just a few of the many highlights from recent one day tours all based from Melbourne. Pleasant autumn weather and lots of birds about have meant we have recorded 100+ species on most of these days.
Also worth mentioning that in the coming weeks we will be advertising a range of set date small group tours ranging from half day to 5 days. Will update here when they've been posted.

22/04/2023

Werribee Wetlands tours, WTP . One space available for the morning tour on Monday April 24th and also one space available for the afternoon tour on the same date. Cost just $150 , contact me on [email protected] for more details. Recent half day tours have all recorded around 75-80 species, with many highlights. A few recent photos attached

11/03/2023

On a recent 4 day targeted tour looking for various shy and cryptic birds we recorded around 180 species. Of particular note was that we managed to see 2 Button-quails, 2 Quails, 2 Crakes and 2 Rails. The bumper rains of 2022 and the drying phase we are in now helped to create the right conditions

12/02/2023

A few close encounters during one day tours this last week based from Melbourne. 100 plus species seen most days. Summer is a great time to bird around southern Victoria

11/12/2022

This year's twelve day Vic Megatour has just run and a trip report can be read here https://www.birdingvictoria.com.au/group-tours
This years tour was incredible in a number of ways. The people, the weather, the challenges and especially the birds. An epic trip and can't wait for the next one. A few photos attached here - but the trip report gives the best picture of our endeavours

08/12/2022

The Western Treatment Plant at Werribee is famous as one of Australia's premier birding destinations. I am delighted to share that Firetail Birdwatching Tours is now fully licenced to run commercial tours inside the permit area of the WTP ( one of only two tour operators licenced to operate )
Information on birdwatching at WTP can be found here .

You need a permit to bird watch at the Western Treatment Plant. Find out what permits are available and download an application pack.

15/11/2022

Tours this spring continue to go extremely well. A recent 8 day tour was really successful with all major target birds showing up. Full bird list here https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S122209416 To tour the Murray river and Riverina region currently was extra exciting. I have never seen the extent of flooding along the Murray river. The whole floodplain is getting a decent drink with the Red Gum and Black Box forests all flooded the whole way along. Road closures leeches and mosquitos were a feature. Good planning and insect repellent kept us moving and safe ! A great group to show around, was too busy guiding to take many photos but some moments did arise. This year's Megatour is about to set off, 12 days to explore even more country, can't wait

28/10/2022

We have been very busy running tours around Victoria over the last few weeks. Thanks to all who have booked a trip, and also to those who have been so patient waiting following the backlog created by Covid restrictions.
Despite some constraints we are doing our best to run as many trips as possible. One thing is for certain, the birds and amazing places we have on our doorstep are going nowhere in a hurry.

And so now for another SE Australian endemic bird to feature. We have 4 species of Treecreeper in Victoria, with the Red-browed only being found in the SE corner of the country. It is easily overlooked in its wet forest habitat. The trees are tall and it spends most of its time high up where it feeds with some agility from the trunks, branches and hanging bark of towering eucalypts. Its call is distinctive, but easily overlooked. Recent extensive fires must have decimated its population, however eucalpyts recover and these survivors will move back in to burnt forests fairly quickly.

15/08/2022

This year's Victoria Megatour from 19th to 30th November has had two spots become available at late notice. This tour takes us from Melbourne out through Gippsland, up to North-east Victoria, into the NSW Riverina, across to the Mallee region of North-west Victoria and down through Central Victoria to the Otways, the Surf Coast and then back to Melbourne via the Ramsar wetlands of Port Phillip bay. It's a grand adventure exploring the important birding areas and targeting the rare and iconic birds of the region. Just two spots left , contact me at [email protected] for more information

10/08/2022

The Mallee Emu-wren is one of Australia's smallest birds and has one of the smallest ranges of any Oz bird too being only found in the mallee country of north-west Victoria and just across the border in South Australia
Mallee Emu-wrens weigh in at a tiny 5-7 grams, which is about the same as a teaspoon of sugar. They live in mallee-spinifex habitat, with no surface water and summer temperatures regularly exceeding 40 degrees centigrade. If it is too hot, don't bother looking for them, if it is too windy don't bother looking for them, too cold, you get the drift. Their numbers fluctuate with the seasons and rainfall. Their biggest threat is wild-fire, especially if it takes out huge areas. They usually require some patience and persistence to find, and spend plenty of time invisible in their prickly spinifex habitat