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Brisbane is teeming with wildlife - birds, mammals, reptiles and more. As a visitor to the city, you are bound to have some interactions with them.
Possums - they’re cute, furry and easy to see. Many use powerlines to perform tightrope acts and perhaps you’ll be woken in the night when they thump and thud across the tin roof over your guest room. They sometimes also make quite loud and guttural mating calls - don’t be alarmed. It’s not you they want ...
Koalas - unfortunately not commonly seen however you may spot one in the western suburbs (eg Moggill, Pullenvale) or the Redlands area, such as Daisy Hill.
Fruit bats - love eating backyard mangoes and pawpaws. They live in large colonies and can fill the sky at sunset in their search for food.
Common birds include:
Rainbow Lorikeets - they have verdant backs and brilliant red, yellow and orange fronts. You’ll see and hear them eating nectar in flowering trees.
Magpies - watch out they don’t swoop on you during the nesting season, generally in September.
Kookaburras - provide a dawn laughing chorus
Australian White Ibis - large white birds with long pointed beaks. They are protected under State Wildlife Legislation but due to problems when their population increases they should not be fed.
Bush Turkeys - large black birds with distinctive yellow and red throat decoration, they love to pile up mulch and leaf litter to create huge nests. Leafy suburbs are their home.
Peregrine Falcon - there are a couple of famous falcons who nest on top of city buildings. During the nesting season, you can watch the baby bird action on the birds’ webcam.
Geckoes - not native to Australia but now ubiquitous in Brisbane homes. They are cute, fast moving and make clicking sounds. They also help eat nasty mozzies.
Snakes - it’s rare to see snakes because they are usually more afraid of you than you are of them. But there are a number of species that live in South East Queensland and Brisbane backyards. Some snakes are highly venomous so if you see a snake leave it alone and walk calmly away. Read more about snakes from the Queensland Museum and the Environmental Protection Agency websites.
Cane toads - unfortunately all too common. Poisonous to animals including pets, cane toads are an introduced menace. The Environmental Protection Agency has further information about cane toads and their control.
Take a day trip and enjoy one of Brisbane’s many wildlife experiences including wild dolphin feeding, fruit bat colony viewing and cuddling koalas.
Or see wildlife for free at:
Visit the Queensland Museum to see animal displays.
Also check our tips to help residents live harmoniously with our animals.
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