Bird life – Phillip Island

Greet migratory mutton birds on their journey from Alaska, see rare wading birds and feed excitable pelicans on Phillip Island.

Migrating mutton birds
Head to Cape Woolamai's main carpark to witness the spectacle of over a million short-tailed shearwaters (mutton birds) returning to their colony en masse at sunset. The birds fly 8,000 kilometres annually from the Alaskan Aleutian Islands to Phillip Island, and between 25 September and late April you can see them return to their burrows after a day out fishing.

Real birds at Rhyll
Spot all kids of migratory wading birds from Rhyll Inlet and wetlands. Royal spoonbills, straw-necked ibis, swans, little pied cormorants and the rare hooded plover visit annually to feed and breed. Follow the boardwalk to the lookout or the Oswin Roberts Walking Track to reach rewarding bird-watching areas.

The pelicans can
Don't miss the pelican feeding ritual daily at midday on the beach at San Remo. Enjoy seeing the wild birds squabble, sway their beaks and dance in unison.