Turning the Tide Newsletter – Summer 2025
Deep Dive: Seabirds
Seabirds are most commonly found on, over or near the ocean, and are adapted to life in the marine environment. Globally seabirds are a varied group of nearly 350 bird species that depend on the marine environment for at least part of their life cycle.
In Australia, over 200 seabird species are protected as marine species. Seabirds are defined as species in the families:
- Phaethontidae (Tropicbirds)
- Hydrobatidae (Northern Storm-petrels)
- Oceanitidae (Austral Storm-petrels)
- Diomedeidae (Albatrosses)
- Procellariidae (Shearwaters and Petrels)
- Spheniscidae (Penguins)
- Fregatidae (Frigatebirds)
- Sulidae (Gannets and Boobies)
- Pelecanidae (Pelicans)
- Stercorariidae (Skuas)
- Laridae (Gulls and Terns)
Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor): The little penguin is the smallest penguin species and is endemic to Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, the species occurs from Western Australia (Carnac Island) to New South Wales (Broughton Island) and Tasmania. The only truly nocturnal penguin species on land, adults always arrive after dusk and leave before dawn.
Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator): The Australasian gannet is a large predominantly white seabird, found in temperate zone waters around Australia and New Zealand. Breeding colonies are found off the coast of Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand. One small colony is also found farther north at Norfolk Island.
White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster): The white-bellied sea-eagle is a large raptor that has long, broad wings and a short, wedge-shaped tail. They are distributed along the coastline (including offshore islands) of mainland Australia and Tasmania. The white-bellied seaeagle breeds in solitary and monogamous pairs that mate for life.
Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus): The Australian pelican is a large waterbird, widespread on inland and coastal waters primarily in large expanses of open water, such as lakes, reservoirs, billabongs and rivers. They feed by plunge-diving while swimming on the surface of the water. Working in groups they drive fish to shallower water, where they use their sensitive bills to snatch their prey.