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Native animals

Waverley Council has a great variety of native animals, despite our small areas of habitat. Biodiversity surveys carried out across the Waverley LGA in 2010 identified 37 native birds, 11 reptiles, 4 frogs and 4 mammals.

Birds

Waverley is lucky to have high numbers of the Superb Fairy-wren (Malrus cyaneus). This species is in decline in other urban areas. One reason for this could be that our dense, shrubby coastal vegetation provides great habitat for these small insect-ds.

The male Superb Fairy-wren is brightly coloured during mating season. At this time, the plumage around his head and throat is bright blue and black. Females and non-breeding males are less showy with greyish brown plumage.

Photography: K Wang and W Dabrowka  © Bird Explorers

Other small birds found in Waverley include the Willie Wagtail, White-browed Scrubwren and New Holland Honeyeater.

These birds are also inhabitants of, or frequent visitors to, Waverley:

• Yelow-tailed Black Cockatoo
• Rainbow Lorrikeet
• Red Wattlebird
• Little Corella
• Welcome Swallow
• Laughing Kookaburra
• Australian Magpie
• Australian Raven
• Grey-headed butcherbird
• Nankeen Kestrel
• Koel
• Channel billed Cuckoo

Reptiles

Waverley has a great diversity of lizards, that includes:

• Three-toed Skink (Saiphos equalis)
• Eastern Water Skink (Eulamprus quoyii)
• Eastern Blue-tongue Skink (Tiliqua scincoides)
• Dark-flecked Garden Sunskink (Lampropholis delicata)
• Pale-flecked Garden Sunskink (Lampropholis guichenoti)
• Cream-striped Shining-skink (Cryptoblepharus virgatus)
• Pale-lipped Shadeskink/Gully Skink (Saproscincus spectabilis)
• Broad-tailed Gecko (Phyllurus platurus)
• Lesueur's Velvet Gecko (Oedura lesueurii)

Frogs

Four species of frog have been found in Waverley:

• Brown-striped Frog (Limnodynastes peronii)
• Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog (Litoria fallax)
• Bleating Tree Frog (Litoria dentata)
• Common Eastern Froglet (Crinia signifera)

Mammals

Four native mammal species were detected in Waverley in 2010.

• Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecular)
• Grey-headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus), a threatened species in the state and nationally
• Gould’s Wattled Bat (Chalinolobous gouldii), named after the English naturalist John Gould,
• Eastern Freetail Bat (Mormopterus sp.), a threatened species in New South Wales

Living with Wildlife

All native animals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, except the dingo, are protected by the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

Brushtail and Ringtail possums are a welcome addition to our urban ecology. If a possum sets up camp in your roof, find out the steps you need to take to safely relocate it.

Injured animals

If you find an injured native animal, contact WIRES or Sydney Wildlife Rescue for advice and assistance.