Wildlife of Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne sits at the temperate southern edge of Australia, where eucalypt forest meets the wild Southern Ocean coast. Expect cockatoos, magpies and possums throughout the city, koalas and kangaroos in the Yarra Ranges, and one of the best little penguin colonies in the world at Phillip Island just outside the metro.
Best timeOctober – April for penguins and shorebirds, June – September for winter whales offshore.
- 1Melbourne has resident brushtail possums in nearly every backyard.
- 2Little penguins march ashore at St Kilda breakwater every dusk.
- 3The Yarra now has resident platypuses inside the metro area.
Signature species
Curated for Melbourne, Australia, each tagged with its IUCN Red List status.
- NT
Platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
- LC
Little penguin
Eudyptula minor
- LC
Powerful owl
Ninox strenua
- CR
Helmeted honeyeater
Lichenostomus melanops cassidix
- LC
Superb fairywren
Malurus cyaneus
IUCN codes — EX extinct · EW extinct in wild · CR critically endangered · EN endangered · VU vulnerable · NT near threatened · LC least concern · DD data deficient
Dos & don'ts
Local etiquette that keeps wildlife wild.
Do
- Support Zoos Victoria's helmeted-honeyeater breeding programme.
- Cycle slowly on the Yarra Trail at dusk for platypus.
- Keep distance — use zoom or binoculars, never bait animals closer.
- Stay on marked trails to avoid trampling nests, burrows and plants.
Don't
- Don't shine lights on penguins at St Kilda.
- Don't handle possums — they carry Buruli ulcer bacteria.
- Never feed wildlife — human food changes behaviour and shortens lives.
- Don't share exact locations of nests, dens or rare species online.
Spotted here lately
Live from iNaturalist — research-grade observations within 60km, last 30 days.
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