|
Australian bird habitats:
|
Aboriginal names: "coolan", "darwall", "narrong", "tooloondoo", "towalba" = Swamp; "pindiana" = Lignum swamp
 |
Description of habitat |
Swamps are permanently water-logged areas in shallow depressions, around lakes or along rivers, with vegetation rooting in the water, but reaching the surface. True swamps have trees, while transitional swamps have only shrubs.
Swamps offer potential habitats for a variety of waders and other birds, for feeding, nesting and also hiding. Swamps not only attract aquatic birds, but there are many other species that can benefit from the presence of higher and/or denser vegetation in otherwise drier, less vegetated surroundings. Being a dry continent, Australia does not have a large number of swamps.
There is a separate page describing areas that are not permanently water-logged, i.e. ephemeral wetlands.
 |
Bird species found in this type of habitat or plant |
This is not necessarily a complete list. We display here some examples of bird species found by us in this kind of habitat or plant. Hover your cursor on thumbnails to see names of species; click on thumbnail to go to the page describing the species.
|
 |
Photos |
Example of a true swamp - Melaleuca swamp with reeds at Myall Lakes National Park, NSW;
this swamp is found on the shore of a lake
This swamp is found at the inlet of Yarrie Lake,
a small natural
lake in inland NSW;
in this habitat a large number of Rufous Night Herons was found
Example of a riverine
marsh - eucalypt-dominated
swamp with reeds
and grass tussocks at
Macquarie Marshes NR,
NSW; this swamp is located on the banks of the Macquarie River
