The Taroona foreshore boasts an impressive range of more than 70 bush, shore and seabird species. Some are raucous, some melodious, some shy and secretive; some dazzle with brilliant colour, some blend into the bush; and some are resident while others migrate north during winter. If you’re lucky, you may hear the distinctive piping call of the endangered swift parrot as it streaks out of the blue gum foliage.
Our coastal foreshore also provides habitat for another nationally threatened species – the eastern barred bandicoot. You might spot one in the evening scratching for seeds and insects in the native grass. Other nocturnal mammals include ringtail and brushtail possums. During the day, look out for reptiles – a metallic skink basking on a log or a blue-tongue lizard feeding on bugs in the leaf litter.

Common foreshore fauna

Birds

• Black-faced Shag
• White-bellied Sea-Eagle
• Masked Lapwing
• Silver Gull
• Kelp Gull
• Common Bronzewing
• Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
• Musk Lorikeet
• Swift Parrot
• Green Rosella
• Eastern Rosella
• Laughing Kookaburra (introduced)
• Welcome Swallow
• Grey Fantail
• Superb Fairy Wren
• Brown Thornbill
• Yellow Wattlebird
• Yellow-throated Honeyeater
• Black-headed Honeyeater
• Crescent Honeyeater
• New Holland Honeyeater
• Spotted Pardalote
• Striated Pardalote
• Silvereye
• Grey Butcherbird
• Australian Magpie
• Grey Currawong
• Forest Raven

Reptiles

• Metallic skink
• Blue-tongue lizard

Mammals

• Tasmanian bettong
• Eastern barred bandicoot
• Ringtail possum
• Brushtail possum
• Water rat
• Common dolphin
• Bottlenose dolphin
• Australian fur seal

(photo credits:  silvereye:  Alan Fletcher;  ringtail possum:  Hans and Annie Wapstra)