Home Atlas Info Maps Contacts Register! Links News & Events Vetting etc. NT Birdlist       Search Login

Rarities etc.

Some knowledge of the known status of birds in the NT is helpful in knowing whether supporting notes may be needed to help substantiate a sighting. In some instances, even easily identified birds that may be common in much of Australia could need supporting notes if they are new to - or rare in - the NT. The following notes and lists are intended to be a general guide to limit the possibility that good records are wasted because of lack of support.

Category 1 - National Rarities

This is a list of birds previously recorded in the N.T. but for which there are few records for Australia. It is recommended that detailed notes of sightings of these be submitted to the Birds Australia Rarities Committee.

Christmas Frigatebird
Pin-tailed Snipe
Eurasian Curlew
Nordmann's Greenshank
Green Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover

Caspian Plover
Black-tailed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Sabine's Gull
Elegant Imperial-Pigeon
Night Parrot
Oriental Reed-Warbler
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail

Includes birds not listed above, but that have not previously been recorded in the Northern Territory. Check the NT List to see if your bird is on it. It is recommended that sightings of new birds for the NT be published. The NT Naturalist is a suitable journal for this. Suitable notes are needed in order to substantiate records of these birds to add to the NT list or to include in the Atlas.

Category 3 - Birds that are uncommon or rare in the N.T.

These species have been recorded in the NT but are so infrequently seen that it is useful to have supporting evidence to help establish the validity of the record.

Tahiti Petrel
Streaked Shearwater
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Red-footed Booby
Freckled Duck
Little Bittern
Malleefowl
Bush-hen
Baillon's Crake
Spotless Crake
Sarus Crane
Painted Snipe
Latham's Snipe
Common Redshank
Wandering Tattler
Asian Dowitcher
Red-necked Phalarope

Kelp Gull
Black-naped Tern
Bridled Tern
Sooty Tern
Common Noddy
Black Noddy
Pomarine Jaeger
Arctic Jaeger
Princess Parrot
Scarlet-chested Parrot
Masked Owl
Eastern Grass Owl
White-throated Needletail
Crested Shrike-tit
Barn Swallow
Welcome Swallow (very rare in the Top End)
Red-tailed Tropicbird
Great Frigatebird

Category 4 - Easily misidentified birds