Bird Encounters Around Brisbane

They fill our trees and colour our skies. With over 600 species of birds in Queensland, it is little wonder that Brisbane offers both locals and visitors some pretty spectacular bird encounter opportunities. So, where are the best places to get up close and personal with our feathered friends? Whether it is a spectacular show you are after, or a one-on-one bird feeding opportunity, these are some of our favourite bird encounters around Brisbane.

Bird Encounters Around Brisbane – Bird Shows

Wildskies at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary 

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary offers bird encounters with some of the largest and most majestic creatures to grace our Aussie skies! Their free-flight bird show,  WildSkies, introduces audiences to some of Australia’s most beautiful species of birds, including the largest bird of prey in Australia – the Wedge-tailed eagle, the Australian Pelican, and colourful parrots and birds of prey.

If you want to, you can stick around after the show to have your photo taken with a bird of prey too!

Cost: Free experience with paid admission to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Birds you will see: Native Australian birds including bird of prey, black cockatoos, macaws, curlews, king parrots, galahs, pelicans and owls. 

Our recommendation: Arrive early to make sure you get a seat as this is a popular show at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Birds of Prey Show at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat

At O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat’s Bird of Prey show, you can witness various birds of prey performing natural behaviours in an unforgettable wildlife experience. You will also experience the bird of prey feeding from small bits of rodents.

You will be amazed by the aerial acrobatics of a kite, impressed by the majesty of their eagle and fall in love with a ‘crowd favourite’ owl. For a small fee, you can pop your hand into the glove and get your own individual photo taken with one of the birds after the show. Our kids especially enjoyed the fun facts given about the birds. 

Cost: Child $12 |  Adult $20  |  Family $55 (bookings required)

Birds you will see: Various Australian bird of prey

Our recommendation: If you can, get a seat at the end of the benches so you can be as close as possible to the birds as they seek out their prey.  

Birds of Prey LIVE! at Australia Zoo

For another bird of prey encounter around Brisbane, you can head a little north to Australia Zoo. Each day at 3pm, families visiting the zoo can watch the spectacular show which features a wedge-tailed eagle, a powerful brahminy kite, a barking owl and a blue-winged kookaburra in all their glory.

Australia Zoo put on a wonderful show in a stadium set up. Their stadium is right next to the food court, so this is an ideal time and place to grab a bite to eat and take a moment to rest in between all the walking. 

Cost: Free show with paid admission to Australia Zoo

Birds you will see: Australian native birds including Bird of Prey, kookaburras and owls.

Our recommendation: There is a lot to see and do at Australia Zoo and we recommend mapping out your day so you don’t miss out on the shows.   

Free Flight Raptor Show at Lone Pine

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has a free Flight Raptor show running for 15 minutes twice daily at 10:30am and 1:00pm. Here, you will meet a range of native falcons and eagles, along with kites and owls.

Cost: Free show with paid admission to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Birds you will see: Various Australian bird of prey

Our recommendation: There is limited seating so make sure you arrive for the show early.

Bird Feeding Encounters Around Brisbane 

Grace’s Bird Garden Feed Out! at Australia Zoo

If your family are visiting Australia Zoo, head to Grace’s Bird Garden Feed Out at 9:30am daily. Watch as the wonderful zoo keeper feeds some of the most beautiful (and shy) birds seen in their aviary and learn more about the zoo’s conservation efforts with the rose-crowned fruit dove or bush stone curlew.

Cost: Free experience with paid admission to Australia Zoo

Rainbow Lorikeet Feeding at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

One of the most popular and well-known bird feeding experiences in South-East Queensland can be found just a short drive south of Brisbane. The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s lorikeet feeding encounter is a busy and colourful event which sees hundreds of birds descend from surrounding trees at feeding time. Occurring each day at 8am and 4pm, the colourful birds are not shy of humans and like to eat right from your hands or take a rest on your head and shoulders! 

Cost: Free experience (you do not need to pay admission to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to do this, as it is before the main entrance). There is a small cost to feed the birds but we have visited several times and found the experience to be just as enjoyable without feeding them. 

Bird Feeding at Thunderbird Park

Set in an ideal location, Thunderbird Park’s 112-hectare rainforest property attracts a huge number of birds for people to see without having to trek through unchartered bush land. A walk along the bush tracks will bring you in contact with a lot of the park’s regular visitors, including the rare albert’s lyrebird, bowerbirds, butcher birds, and wedge tailed eagles. Every day at 2pm, the park hosts bird feeding encounters for guests, with rainbow lorikeets flying down in large groups for a cheeky feed.

Cost: Free for guests staying at Thunderbird Park

Rainbow Lorikeet Feeding at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

At 9:45am and 3:44pm daily, you can enjoy hundreds of colourful rainbow lorikeets coming in for a feed at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. There are plenty of feeding devices to go around, and lots of opportunities for photos for a memory you are unlikely forget! 

Cost: Free with paid admission to the sanctuary

Bird Aviary and Sanctuary Encounters Around Brisbane

Local zoos and wildlife centres are a wonderful place to spot not only native and exotic animals, but also a range of bird species too. With several small and larger zoos in and around Brisbane to choose from, many contain a range of bird species in captivity. You can explore our complete list of Brisbane Zoo Options here to plan your next bird encounter around Brisbane.

Some of our favourite places we would recommend visiting include:

Ipswich Nature Centre

The delightful Ipswich Nature Centre will introduce your Brisbane Kids to an impressive array of native animals and wildlife. Along its winding wooden pathways you will also discover their walk-through giant rainforest bird aviary, which is home to up to 80 birds all year ’round.

Maleny Bird World

If you want to be inundated with birds of all shapes, sizes and colours then the Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World will not disappoint. The five walk-through aviaries found here are home to over 600 native and exotic birds from around the world, making this an interactive bird experience not to be missed. We cannot stress how interactive this experience is, and if you have a fear of birds, this is not the activity for you. 

O’Reilly’s Early Morning Bird Walks

As the sun comes up over Mount O’Reilly, guests can take an early morning bird walk through the rainforest. Quiet is essential, so this is an activity best reserved for older kids and teenagers. 

Free Bird Watching Around Brisbane

One of the easiest bird encounters in Brisbane can be had by heading to one of the many habitats where birds frequent in high numbers. A pair of binoculars and a bit of patience can reward you with some pretty incredible experiences and pictures, so, if you are keen to simply observe your local wildlife in their native environment, you can discover all of the best places to go bird watching in Brisbane with kids here.