Kangaroo Island is home to a large range of wildlife species and is often regarded as one of the best locations to view wildlife in Australia.
Kangaroo Island is Australia’s third-largest island, measuring 145km (90 miles) east to west and 55km (34 miles) north to south at it’s widest point, totalling 4409km² (1702miles²) in area. Nearly half of the original vegetation has been retained and over one third of the land is protected across 30 National and Conservation parks. These are connected by roadside and creek-line corridors which carry excellent wildlife habitat across the landscape.
Over 90% of the Island is mallee and woodland dominated largely by Eucalyptus and the balance shrubland, fernland and forest. This provides habitat for a rich variety of animals.
We have compiled a list of species, organised into four categories.
COMMON NAME | LATIN NAME | STATUS | CHANCE OF OBSERVATION |
Western Pigmy Possum | Cercartetus concinnus | Common | Extremely Low |
Little Pigmy Possum | Cercartetus lepidus | Uncommon | Extremely Low |
Sooty Dunnart | Sminthopsis aitkeni | Rare (endemic) | Extremely Low |
Tammar Wallaby | Macropus eugenii | Common | Extremely High |
Kangaroo Island Kangaroo | Macropus fuliginosus fulinginosus | Common | Extremely High |
Southern Brown Bandicoot | Isoodon obesulus | Vulnerable | Extremely Low |
Common Ringtail Possum* | Pseudocheirus peregrinus | Common | Extremely Low |
Common Brushtail Possum | Trichosurus vulpecula | Common | Extremely High |
Koala* | Phascolarctos cinereus | Rare | Extremely High |
Platypus* | Ornithorhinchus anatinus | Vulnerable | Low (Summer/Autumn) |
Short-beaked Echidna | Tachyglossus aculeatus | Common | High |
House Mouse* | Mus domesticus | Common | Low |
Bush Rat | Rattus fuscipes | Common | Low |
Swamp Rat | Rattus lutreolus | Uncommon | Low |
Brown Rat* | Rattus norvegicus | Uncommon | Low |
Black Rat* | Rattus rattus | Common | Low |
Yellow-bellied Sheathtailed Bat | Saccolaimus flaviventris | Rare | Low |
Little Mastiff Bat | Mormopterus planiceps | Common | Low |
White Striped Mastiff Bat | Tadarida australis | Common | Low |
Chocolate Wattled Bat | Chalinolobus morio | Common | Low |
Gould’s Wattled Bat | Chalinolobus gouldii | Common | Low |
Large Forest Eptesicus | Eptesicus darlington | Rare | Low |
King River Eptesicus | Eptesicus regulus | Common | Low |
Lesser Long-eared Bat | Nyctophilus geoffroyi | Common | Low |
Feral Cat* | Felis Catus | Common | High |
Feral Goat* | Capra hircus | Common | Low |
Feral Pig* | Sus scrofa | Uncommon | Low |
COMMON NAME | LATIN NAME | STATUS | CHANCE OF OBSERVATION |
Southern Right Whale | Balaena glacialis australis | Endangered | Low (Winter) |
Pygmy Right Whale | Caperea marginata | Rare | Extremely Low |
Bryde’s Whale | Balaenoptera edeni | Rare | Extremely Low |
Fin Whale | Balaenoptera physalus | Rare | Extremely Low |
Common Dolphin | Delphinus delphis | Common | Low |
Killer Whale | Orcinus orca | Rare | Extremely Low |
Pilot Whale | Globicephala melaena | Rare | Extremely Low |
Bottled-nosed Dolphin | Tursiops truncatus | Common | High |
Pygmy Sperm Whale | Kogia breviceps | Rare | Extremely Low |
Dwarf Sperm Whale | Kogia simus | Rare | Extremely Low |
Sperm Whale | Physeter macrocephalus | Rare | Extremely Low |
Southern Bottled-nosed Whale | Hyperoodon planifrons | Rare | Extremely Low |
Gray’s Beaked Whale | Mesoplodon grayi | Rare | Extremely Low |
Curvier’s Beaked Whale | Ziphius cavirostris | Rare | Extremely Low |
Strap-toothed Whale | Mesoplodon layardii | Rare | Extremely Low |
New Zealand Fur Seal | Arctocephalus forsteri | Rare | Extremely High |
Australian Fur Seal | Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus | Rare | Moderate |
Australian Sea-lion | Neophoca cinera | Rare | Extremely High |
COMMON NAME | LATIN NAME | CHANCE OF OBSERVATION |
Loggerhead Turtle | Caretta caretta | Low |
Green Turtle | Chelonia mydas | Low |
Leathery (Luth) Turtle | Dermochelys coriacea | Low |
Tawny Dragon | Ctenophorus decresii | Moderate (Summer/Autumn) |
Bearded Dragon* | Pogona barbatus | Extremely Low |
Marbled Gecko | Phyllodactullus marmoratus | High |
Thick-tailed Gecko | Underwoodisaurus milli | Extremely Low |
Lined-wormed Lizard | Aprasia striolata | Extremely Low |
Russett Skink | Egernia multiscutata | |
White’s Skink | Egernia whitei | High |
Three-toed Skink | Hemiergis decresiensis | |
Four-toed Skink | Lampropholis guichenoti | |
Garden Skink | Lerista bougainvilli | High |
Common Blue Tongue* | Tiliqua scincoides scincoides | Extremely Low |
Rosenberg’s Sand Goanna | Varanus rosenbergii | Extremely High (Summer/Autumn) |
Pygmy Copperhead Snake | Austrelaps superbus | Low (Summer/Autumn) |
Black Tiger Snake | Notechis ater niger | Moderate (Summer/Autumn) |
Brown Tree Frog | Litoria wingi | Moderate |
Bull Frog | Limnodynastes dumerili | Moderate |
Marble Frog | Limnodynastes tasmaniensis | Moderate |
Painted Frog | Neobatrachus pictus | |
Brown Toadlet | Pseudophryne bibroni | |
Brown Froglet | Ranidella signifera |
COMMON NAME | LATIN NAME | |
Albatross | Black-browed | Diomedea melanophris |
Grey-headed | Diomedea chrysostoma | |
Indian Yellow-nosed | Diomedea chlororhynchos | |
Light-mantled | Phoebetria palpebrata | |
Shy | Diomedea cauta | |
Wandering | Diomedia exulans | |
Avocet | Red-necked | Recurvirostra novaehollandiae |
Bee-eater | Rainbow | Merops ornatus |
Bittern | Australasian | Botaurus poiciloptilus |
Blackbird | *Common | Turdus merula |
Boobook Owl | Southern | Ninox novaeseelandiae |
Brolga | Grus rubicunda | |
Bronzewing | Brush | Phaps elegans |
Common | Phaps chalcoptera | |
Brush-turkey | Australian | Alectura lathami |
Budgerigar | Melopsittacus undulatus | |
Bushlark | Horsfield’s | Miafra javanica |
Button-quail | Painted | Turnix varia |
Chat | Crimson | Ephthianura tricolor |
Orange | Epthianura aurifrons | |
White-fronted | Ephthianura albifrons | |
Cockatiel | Nymphicus hollandicus | |
Cockatoo | Gang-gang | Callocephalon fimbriatum |
Glossy-black | Calyptorhynchus lathami | |
Sulphur-crested | Cacatua galerita | |
Yellow-tailed Black | Calyptorhynchus funereus | |
Coot | Eurasian | Fulica atra |
Corella | Little | Cacatua sanguinea |
Cormorant | Australian Pied | Phalacrocorax varius |
Black-faced | Leucocarbo fuscescens | |
Great | Phalacrocorax carbo | |
Little Black | Phalacrocorax sulcirostris | |
Little Pied | Phalacrocorax melanoleucos | |
Crake | Australian | Porzana fluminea |
Baillon’s | Porzana pusilla | |
Spotless | Porzana tabuensis | |
Cuckoo | Fan-tailed | Cacomantis flabelliformis |
Horsfield’s Bronze | Chalcites basalis | |
Pallid | Cacomantis pallidus | |
Shining Bronze | Chalcites lucidus | |
Cuckooshrike | Black-faced | Coracina novaehollandiae |
Curlew | Far Eastern | Burhinus grallarius |
Currawong | Grey | Strepera versicolor melanoptera |
Darter | Australasian | Anhinga melanogaster |
Dollarbird | Oriental | Eurystomus orientalis |
Dotterel | Black-fronted | Elseyornis melanops |
Hooded | Thinornis rubricollis | |
Red-kneed | Erythrogonys cinctus | |
Dove | Rock (introduced) | Columba livia |
Spotted | Streptopelia chinensis | |
Drongo | Spangled | Dicrurus bracteatus |
Duck | Blue-billed | Oxyura australis |
Freckled | Stictonetta naevosa | |
Maned | Chenonetta jubata | |
Musk | Biziura lobata | |
Pacific Black | Anas superciliosa | |
Pink-eared | Malacorhynchus membranaceus | |
Eagle | Little | Hieraateus morphnoides |
Wedge-tailed | Aquila audax | |
White-bellied Sea | Haliaeetus leucogaster | |
Egret | Eastern Cattle | Ardea ibis |
Great | Ardea alba | |
Little | Egretta garzetta | |
Emu (extinct) | Kangaroo Island | Dromaius baudinianus |
Mainland | Dromaius novaehollandiae | |
Emu-wren | Southern | Stipiturus malachurus |
Fairywren | Superb | Malurus cyaneus |
Falcon | Black | Falco subniger |
Brown | Falco berigora | |
Peregrine | Falco peregrinus | |
Fantail | Grey | Rhipidura fuliginosa |
Finch | Red-browed | Neochmia temporalis |
Firetail | Beautiful | Stagonopleura bella |
Flycatcher | Restless | Myiagra inquieta |
Satin | Myiagra cyanoleuca | |
Frogmouth | Tawny | Podargus strigoides |
Fulmar | Southern | Fulmarus glacialoides |
Galah | Cacatua roseicapilla | |
Gannet | Australasian | Morus serrator |
Garganey | Anas querquedula | |
Godwit | Bar-tailed | Limosa lapponica |
Black-tailed | Limosa limosa | |
Goldfinch | European | Carduelis carduelis |
Goose | Cape Barren | Cereopsis novaehollandiae |
Goshawk | Brown | Accipiter fasciatus |
Grassbird | Little | Megalurus gramineus |
Grebe | Australasian | Tachybaptus novaehollandiae |
Great Crested | Podiceps cristatus | |
Hoary-headed | Poliocephalus poliocephalus | |
Greenshank | Common | Tringa nebularia |
Gull | Kelp | Larus dominicanus |
Pacific | Larus pacificus | |
Silver | Larus novaehollandiae | |
Hardhead | Aythya australis | |
Harrier | Spotted | Circus assimilis |
Swamp | Circus approximans | |
Heathwren | Shy | Hylacola cauta |
Heron | Nankeen Night | Nycticorax caledonicus |
Pacific Reef | Egretta sacra | |
White-faced | Egretta novaehollandiae | |
White-necked | Ardea pacifica | |
Hobby | Australian | Falco longipennis |
Honeyeater | Brown-headed | Melithreptus brevirostris |
Crescent | Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera | |
New Holland | Phylidonyris novaehollandiae | |
Purple-gaped | Lichenostomus cratitius | |
Regent | Xanthomyza phrygia | |
Singing | Lichenostomus virescens | |
Spiny-cheeked | Acanthagenys rufogularis | |
Tawny-crowned | Phylidonyris melanops | |
White-eared | Lichenostomus leucotis | |
White-fronted | Phylidonyris albifrons | |
White-naped | Melithreptus lunatus | |
White-plumed | Lichenostomus penicillatus | |
Ibis | Australian White | Threskiornis molucca |
Glossy | Plegadis falcinellus | |
Straw-necked | Threskiornis spinicollis | |
Jaeger | Parasitic | Stercorarius parasiticus |
Kestrel | Nankeen | Falco cenchroides |
Kingfisher | Sacred | Todiramphus sanctus |
Kite | Black | Milvus migrans |
Black-shouldered | Elanus axillaris | |
Letter-winged | Elanus scriptus | |
Square-tailed | Lophoictinia isura | |
Whistling | Haliastur sphenurus | |
Knot | Great | Calidris tenuirostris |
Red | Calidris canutus | |
Kookaburra | Laughing | Dacelo novaeguineae |
Lapwing | Banded | Vanellus tricolor |
Masked | Vanellus miles | |
Lorikeet | Little | Glossopsitta pusilla |
Musk | Glossopsitta concinna | |
Purple-crowned | Glossopsitta porphyrocephala | |
Rainbow | Trichoglossus haematodus | |
Magpie | Australian | Gymnorhina tibicen |
Magpie-lark | Grallina cyanoleuca | |
Martin | Fairy | Petrochelidon ariel |
Tree | Petrochelidon nigricans | |
Moorhen | Dusky | Gallinula tenebrosa |
Native-hen | Black-tailed | Gallinula ventralis |
Needletail | White-throated | Hirundapus caudacutus |
Nightjar | Spotted | Eurostopodus argus |
Oriole | Olive-backed | Oriolus sagittatus |
Osprey | Eastern | Pandion haliaetus |
Owl | Eastern Barn | Tyto alba |
Owlet-nightjar | Australian | Aegotheles cristatus |
Oystercatcher | Pied | Haematopus longirostris |
Sooty | Haematopus fuliginosus | |
Painted-snipe | Australian | Rostratula benghalensis |
Pardalote | Spotted | Pardalotus punctatus |
Striated | Pardalotus striatus | |
Parrot | Blue-winged | Neophema chrysostoma |
Elegant | Neophema elegans | |
Rock | Neophema petrophila | |
Peafowl | Indian Yellow-nosed | Pavo cristatus |
Pelican | Australian | Pelecanus conspicillatus |
Penguin | Fiordland | Eudyptes pachyrhynchus |
Little | Eudyptula minor | |
Northern Rockhopper | Eudyptes moseleyi | |
Petrel | Blue | Halobaena caerulea |
Cape | Daption capense | |
Common Diving | Pelecanoides urinatrix | |
Great-winged | Pterodroma macroptera | |
Grey | Procellaria cinerea | |
Kerguelen | Lugensa brevirostris | |
Mottled | Pterodroma inexpectata | |
Northern Giant | Macronectes halli | |
South Georgia Diving | Pelecanoides georgicus | |
Southern Giant | Macronectes giganteus | |
White-chinned | Procellaria aequinoctialis | |
White-faced Storm | Pelogodroma marina | |
White-headed | Pterodroma lessonii | |
Wilson’s Storm | Oceanites oceanicus | |
Pigeon | Crested | Ocyphaps lophotes |
Pipit | Australian | Anthus novaeseelandiae |
Plover | Doubled-banded | Charadrius bicinctus |
Greater Sand | Charadrius leschenaultii | |
Grey | Pluvialis squatarola | |
Lesser Sand | Charadrius mongolus | |
Pacific Golden | Pluvialis fulva | |
Red-capped | Charadrius ruficapillus | |
Prion | Antarctic | Pachyptila desolata |
Broad-billed | Pachyptila vittata | |
Fairy | Pachyptila turtur | |
Salvin’s | Pachyptila salvini | |
Slender-billed | Pachyptila belcheri | |
Quail | Brown | Coturnix ypsilophora |
Stubble | Coturnix pectoralis | |
Rail | Buff-banded | Gallirallus philippensis |
Lewin’s | Rallus pectoralis | |
Raven | Australian | Corvus coronoides |
Little | Corvus mellori | |
Reed-Warbler | Australian | Acrocephalus stentoreus |
Robin | Flame | Petroica phoenicea |
Red-capped | Petroica goodenovii | |
Scarlet | Petroica multicolor | |
Rosella | Crimson | Platycercus elegans |
Sanderling | Calidris alba | |
Sandpiper | Common | Calidris hypoleucos |
Curlew | Calidris ferruginea | |
Marsh | Tringa stagnatilis | |
Pectoral | Calidris melanotos | |
Sharp-tailed | Calidris acuminata | |
Terek | Xenus cinereus | |
Wood | Tringa glareola | |
Scrubwren | White-browed | Sericornis frontalis |
Shearwater | Flesh-footed | Puffinus carneipes |
Fluttering | Puffinus gavia | |
Hutton’s | Puffinus huttoni | |
Short-tailed | Puffinus tenuirostris | |
Sooty | Ardenna grisea | |
Shelduck | Australian | Tadorna tadornoides |
Shoveler | Australasian | Anas rhynchotis |
Shrikethrush | Grey | Colluricincla harmonica |
Silvereye | Zosterops lateralis | |
Skua | Brown | Stercorarius antarcticus |
Pomarine | Stercorarius pomarinus | |
Skylark | Eurasian | Alauda arvensis |
Snipe | Latham’s | Gallinago hardwickii |
Songlark | Brown | Cinclorhamphus cruralis |
Sparrow | House | Passer domesticus |
Sparrowhawk | Collared | Accipiter cirrhocephalus |
Spinebill | Eastern | Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris |
Spoonbill | Royal | Platalea regia |
Yellow-billed | Platalea flavipes | |
Starling | Common | Sturnus vulgaris |
Stilt | Banded | Cladorhynchus leucocephalus |
Black-winged | Himantopus himantopus | |
Stint | Long-toed | Calidris subminuta |
Red-necked | Calidris ruficollis | |
Stone-curlew | Bush | Burhinus grallarius |
Swallow | Welcome | Hirundo neoxena |
Swamphen | Purple | Porphyrio porphyrio |
Swan | Black | Cygnus atratus |
Swift | Pacific | Apus pacificus |
Tattler | Grey-tailed | Heteroscelus brevipes |
Teal | Chestnut | Anas castanea |
Grey | Anas gracilis | |
Tern | Antarctic | Sterna vittata |
Arctic | Sterna paradisaea | |
Caspian | Sterna caspia | |
Common | Sterna hirundo | |
Fairy | Sterna nereis | |
Greater Crested | Sterna bergii | |
Gull-billed | Sterna nilotica | |
Sooty | Sterna fuscata | |
Whiskered | Chlidonias hybridus | |
White-fronted | Sterna striata | |
White-winged | Chlidonias leucopterus | |
Thornbill | Brown | Acanthiza pusilla |
Striated | Acanthiza lineata | |
Yellow | Acanthiza nana | |
Thrush | Bassian | Zoothera lunulata |
Thriller | White-winged | Lalage tricolor |
Tropicbird | Red-tailed | Phaethon rubricauda |
Turkey | Wild | Meleagris gallopavo |
Turnstone | Ruddy | Arenaria interpres |
Wagtail | Willie | Rhipidura leucophrys |
Wattlebird | Little | Anthochaera chrysoptera |
Red | Anthochaera carunculata | |
Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | |
Whipbird | Western | Psophodes nigrogularis |
Whistler | Golden | Pachycephala pectoralis |
Rufous | Pachycephala rufiventris | |
Woodswallow | Black-faced | Artamus cinereus |
Dusky | Artamus cyanopterus | |
Masked | Artamus personatus | |
White-browed | Artamus superciliosus |
Kangaroo Island separated from mainland Australia around 10,000 years ago, due to rising sea level after the last glacial period. Due to this long isolation, many animals are local sub-species and one, the sooty dunnart, is unique to Kangaroo Island. Other than domestics, there are few introduced species: Koalas and Platypus (released in the 1920s), cats, goats, pigs and deer, a few rodents; Bearded Dragons, Shingleback and Blue-tongued Skinks. Notably, foxes and rabbits which have had much impact elsewhere in Australia have not been established.
The marine environment is equally diverse with more variation in lifeforms in Island waters than along the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef and much of this is now protected in a network of marine parks. Key marine species other than marine mammals include Blue Groper and the ornate Leafy Sea-Dragon. Key wildlife encounters offered by Exceptional Kangaroo Island on small group tours are with Kangaroo Island Kangaroos, Tammar Wallabies, Short-beaked Echidnas, Australian Sea-lions and Long-nosed Fur Seals, with a series of secondary encounters experienced on an opportunistic basis.
In December, black swans move in large numbers to the sheltered waters around American River as the freshwater wetlands dry up. Australian and New Zealand fur-seal breeding peaks in January with fierce territorial battles which can be viewed by visitors from the safety of the boardwalk at Admiral’s Arch. Hooded dotterels nest on many of the Island’s sandy beaches in January. Watch out for the Island’s largest terrestrial predator, the threatened Rosenberg’s goannas on the roadside. They are active Island-wide as February is courtship and egg-laying season. The lime green and yellow shades of new growth transforms thousands of hectares of mallee wilderness across the Island.
Glossy black cockatoos begin to choose their nesting hollows in preparation for their annual nesting (April through June and in October). Little penguins return in April to start their annual breeding, with males selecting burrows and renovating them in the hope of attracting a female. Black Swamp in Flinders Chase National Park becomes alive in May with Cape Barren geese selecting nesting territories.
June sees Southern Right Whales make their annual visit to the protected waters around Kangaroo Island and they head back south to Antarctic waters in October. Black Swans nest on their large an elaborate nests in the wetlands and along the rivers in June. Short-beaked Echidna mating trains are seen occasionally across the Island during winter with one female doggedly pursued by up to ten males. In August, migratory waders arrive from their Northern hemisphere summer breeding (best sites include American River, Murray Lagoon and Reeves Point). Kangaroo Island Kangaroos and Tammar Wallabies have their joeys emerging from the pouch and starting to explore in August.
Shearwater migration – in September, hundreds of thousands of birds move past the South Coast of the Island in a continuous stream rising and falling on the air currents above the ocean swell (best site for viewing is any of the lighthouse promontories). In November, Australian sea-lions use the broader Summer beach to bask on the sand in between fishing trips to the continental shelf. Tiny terrestrial orchids can be found flowering in deep protected leaf litter in many habitat types across the Island. These are part of a flora of almost 900 native plant species, nearly 50 of which are found nowhere else on earth. On the Eastern end of the Island, striking white or pink-tinged Centenary Starburst (Thryptomene ericaea) dominates the roadsides.
Where is Kangaroo Island located? What is it’s closest city? Find out that and more.
We have compiled a gallery of videos and images highlighting the amazing experiences Kangaroo Island offers.
Check out our list of recommendations for Kangaroo Island, South Australia and more.
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COVID-19 UPDATE
Exceptional Kangaroo Island has recommenced private and small group touring operations, operated in a COVID-safe manner.