Native Animals History and Science
Native Birds of Sea and Inland Victoria: Sky Messengers, Navigators of Wind and Water
Birds have long been the voices of Country — linking sea, sky, and land through their movement, song, and flight. In Victoria, over 450 species of native birds inhabit environments from ocean cliffs and wetlands to forests and volcanic plains (BirdLife Australia 2022). Each species reflects an ecological rhythm and a story of belonging, migration, and adaptation. For Indigenous peoples, birds are more than living creatures — they are spirit messengers, weather tellers, and teachers of law. Their songs, feathers, and flight paths are embedded in creation stories, guiding navigation, ceremony, and knowledge of seasonal change (Clarke 1997).
From the seabird colonies of Bass Strait to the inland wetlands of Lake Corangamite and Barmah Forest, Victoria’s birds embody both deep-time resilience and the enduring relationship between people, nature, and sky.
Deep-Time and Cultural Timeline
The origins of Victoria’s bird life trace back more than 65 million years, when early modern birds evolved from small feathered dinosaurs after the Cretaceous extinction (Mayr 2009). By the Miocene epoch (23–5 million years ago), the ancestors of modern seabirds, waterfowl, and parrots were already nesting along the southern coast of the ancient Bassian Plain (Boles 2006). For over 40,000 years, Indigenous communities across Victoria — including the Wadawurrung, Gunditjmara, Dja Dja Wurrung, Woiwurrung, and Yorta Yorta Nations — observed bird movements as part of their ecological calendars. Birds signified when to gather, when to burn, when to travel, and when to rest. A single call could mean rain was near, or that certain fruits and fish were ready for harvest. Colonisation altered these relationships: wetlands were drained, forests cleared, and migratory routes disrupted. Yet, the songs of birds remain — a living record of both environmental change and cultural continuity.
Ecology and Diversity
Victoria’s native birds can be broadly divided into two great realms — those of Sea Country and those of Inland Country — each playing vital ecological and spiritual roles.
Sea Birds
Victoria’s coastline and offshore islands support some of the largest seabird populations in southern Australia.
Key species include:
Short-tailed shearwater (Ardenna tenuirostris) – migrates annually between the Arctic and Bass Strait islands; known to Traditional Owners as a calendar bird marking seasonal cycles.
Australasian gannet (Morus serrator) – colonies thrive on Lawrence Rocks and Pope’s Eye, diving at high speed to hunt fish.
Little penguin (Eudyptula minor) – the world’s smallest penguin, nesting at Phillip Island and St Kilda.
Silver gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) and Pacific gull (Larus pacificus) – scavengers and environmental indicators along beaches and estuaries.
Crested tern (Thalasseus bergii) – symbol of ocean fertility and migration.
These seabirds act as nutrient carriers, cycling marine energy to the land through guano deposits that fertilise coastal vegetation (Marchant & Higgins 1993).
Inland and Wetland Birds
Victoria’s rivers, lakes, and grasslands are home to an equally rich array of inland species:
Brolga (Antigone rubicunda) – sacred crane of dance and ceremony.
Black swan (Cygnus atratus) – symbol of creation, family, and spiritual law for many Kulin Nations.
Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) – totem of generosity and unity; often linked to stories of water and rebirth.
Egrets, herons, and ibis – wading birds that balance aquatic ecosystems.
Parrots and rosellas – seed dispersers and social symbols across woodland Country.
Raptors – including wedge-tailed eagles (Aquila audax), hawks, and falcons, apex predators that maintain ecological balance.
Each bird occupies a niche that interconnects with water, soil, and vegetation — sustaining the biodiversity web of Country.
Birds in Indigenous Knowledge and Story
In Indigenous worldviews, birds are messengers between realms — their flight uniting the earth and the heavens. They hold stories that guide ethics, survival, and kinship.
Creation and law: Many Dreaming stories describe birds shaping the land. The Brolga, through her dance, brought water to dry earth; the Black Swan taught humility and the power of transformation (Massola 1968).
Language and song: The calls of birds are part of Indigenous languages, each sound carrying meaning — a warning, a welcome, or a sign of change (Howitt 1904).
Weather and navigation: Seabird flight patterns predicted storms and seasonal winds, while inland birds’ nesting signalled rainfall or drought.
Ceremonial meaning: Feathers adorned cloaks and tools; bird songs and dances expressed spiritual connection to ancestors and land.
Totemic systems: Each clan’s totemic birds reinforced identity and responsibility — to protect the species that, in turn, protected the people.
These stories continue to inform environmental management today, showing how spiritual law and ecological science are one and the same.
Birds on Wadawurrung Country
Across Wadawurrung Country, from the Bellarine Peninsula to the You Yangs and Lake Connewarre, birds are seen as living expressions of Country’s health.
Waterbirds: Swans, pelicans, and ducks connect freshwater and saltwater systems; their presence reflects the purity of wetlands.
Coastal messengers: Silver gulls and terns announce tides and weather changes, guiding fishing and travel.
Land birds: The kookaburra’s call marks dawn — a daily reminder of renewal and responsibility.
Cultural connection: Elders recall stories of Bunjil the Eagle, creator and protector, who governs wind and law from the sky.
Today, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners collaborate with ecologists in restoring wetland habitats and re-establishing bird populations, blending cultural knowledge and modern conservation (Wadawurrung TOAC 2023).
Colonial Impacts and Modern Challenges
Colonial expansion dramatically changed Victoria’s avian landscapes.
Wetlands were drained for agriculture; hunting and egg collection reduced bird numbers; introduced predators such as foxes and cats devastated ground-nesting species.
By the 20th century, several species, including the plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus) and orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster), faced near extinction (Barrett et al. 2003).
Current threats include:
Habitat loss and urbanisation
Pollution and plastic ingestion (particularly in seabirds)
Climate change altering migration and breeding cycles
Overfishing and disturbance of nesting colonies
Yet, successful conservation programs — like the Phillip Island Nature Parks Little Penguin Project and Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Program — demonstrate the power of community, science, and Traditional Owner collaboration in protecting birdlife.
Modern Science and Ecology
Modern ornithology in Victoria combines field research, technology, and Indigenous knowledge to restore bird populations and habitats.
Tracking migration: Satellite telemetry reveals international migratory paths across the East Asian–Australasian Flyway.
Wetland restoration: Projects such as the Corangamite CMA Waterbird Program enhance breeding habitats for swans, ducks, and brolgas.
Citizen science: BirdLife Australia’s Aussie Backyard Bird Count engages thousands in biodiversity monitoring.
Cultural ecology: Indigenous fire practices are reintroduced to encourage habitat regeneration for ground-dwelling birds like quail and emu-wrens.
Marine ornithology: Research on seabird breeding at Bass Strait islands monitors ecosystem health, linking ocean temperatures to population shifts.
Science confirms what Indigenous law has long known — when birds thrive, Country thrives.
Symbolism and Meaning
Indigenous symbolism: Birds embody spirit, balance, and guidance. Each feather is a strand of connection — a link between life, death, and renewal.
Scientific symbolism: Birds are barometers of environmental change, signalling shifts in climate, vegetation, and ecosystem health.
Cultural symbolism: From the Brolga’s dance to the Eagle’s flight, they represent freedom, family, and resilience — values central to both ancient law and modern conservation.
Conclusion
Native sea and inland birds of Victoria are navigators of life’s cycles, weaving the elements of sky, land, and sea into one continuous story.
Their songs echo through millennia — from the calls of the Bunjil eagle to the cries of seabirds over Bass Strait.
For Indigenous peoples, they remain messengers of creation and caretakers of Country. For science, they are indicators of balance, resilience, and change.
To listen to the birds is to hear the voice of Country itself — whispering that survival depends not on dominance, but on harmony with the winds of life.
Their flight reminds us that the health of the sky mirrors the health of the earth — and the stories that connect them endure forever.
References
Barrett, G., Silcocks, A., Barry, S., Cunningham, R. & Poulter, R. (2003). The New Atlas of Australian Birds. RAOU, Melbourne.
BirdLife Australia (2022). State of Australia’s Birds Report. BirdLife Australia, Melbourne.
Boles, W.E. (2006). “Fossil birds of Australia.” In Evolution and Biogeography of Australasian Vertebrates (Eds Merrick et al.), Auscipub, Sydney, pp. 387–429.
Clarke, I.D. (1997). “The Aboriginal Cosmic Landscape of Southern Australia.” Records of the South Australian Museum, 30(1): 1–14.
Howitt, A.W. (1904). The Native Tribes of South-East Australia. Macmillan, London.
Marchant, S. & Higgins, P.J. (1993). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, Vol. 1: Raptors to Lapwings. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
Massola, A. (1968). Bunjil’s Cave: Myths, Legends and Superstitions of the Aborigines of South-East Australia. Lansdowne Press, Melbourne.
Mayr, G. (2009). Paleogene Fossil Birds. Springer, Berlin.
Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (TOAC). (2023). Cultural Knowledge and Country Resources, Geelong.
Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter 16/09/2025
Magic Lands Alliance
Sharing the truth of Indigenous and colonial history through film, education, land and community.
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Magic Lands Alliance acknowledge the Traditional Owners, Custodians, and First Nations communities across Australia and internationally. We honour their enduring connection to the sky, land, waters, language, and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging, and to all First Peoples communities and language groups. This article draws only on publicly available information; many cultural practices remain the intellectual property of communities.