Unlikely to be encountered anywhere except coastal areas, particularly beaches, reefs, and estuaries; very unusual even a few hundred meters inland from these habitats.
VIC: Critically Endangered; SA: Vulnerable
At a glance
FamilyThick-knees
SizeLarge
RarityCommon
HabitatThe beach stone-curlew (Esacus magnirostris) also known as beach thick-knee is a large, ground-dwelling bird that occurs in Australasia, the islands of South-east Asia.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from June to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
20051approx records
4states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Heavy human activity on beaches in certain areas has confined them to small offshore islands.
Behavior
Often calls at night, giving high-pitched piping and whistling notes.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Western Australia
Queensland
Northern Territory
Victoria
South Australia