The Wildlife

Abrolhos Islands Eco-System – A range of wildlife, like no other

The wildlife

On the islands themselves there are a variety of interesting and sometimes even endangered wildlife. The Abrolhos is known to be one of the largest seabird breading areas, which is one of the reasons it is under the authority of Western Australia’s Parks and Wildlife Service. But it is also home to a range of animals from not only the skies, but land and water as well. The Houtman Abrolhos Islands is home to over 2,000 different species.

Bird life

The group of islands has a total of 211 bird species. These species include:

The Abrolhos Painted Button-Quail (Turnix Varius Scintillans), which was put on an interim recovery plan in 2018
Osprey, that build large nests on Islands, such as East Wallabi Island
White-Bellied Sea Eagle, Coming in second to the Wedge-tailed Eagle as the largest bird of prey found in Australia

The Abrolhos Islands are home to a wide range of bird species, a list of which can be found on the Atlas of Living Australia website.

Big but vulnerable

The Abrolhos is the northern breeding area limit for Australian Sea Lions. These sea lions are classified as Vulnerable, due to their decreasing numbers.

Australian Sea Lions live to an average of 8-9years, with some managing to reach 12 years.

The Australian Sea Lion will sometimes be seen sunbathing on the beaches of the Abrolhos Islands. And while they may seem big and friendly, we recommend admiring them from a safe distance – especially if they have a pup to protect.

There are many resources online about Australian Sea Lions, including helpful tips on what to do if you see a Sea Lion.

FUN FACT:

While many associate the Houtman Abrolhos Islands with Geraldton, the island that is set up for tourism - East Wallabi Island - is actually closer to the tourism town of Kalbarri by 2 nautical miles.

Cute and fluffy

Tammar Wallabies are the shy Quokkas of the Abrolhos islands. They may not be as famous as Rottnest's smiling selfie fanatic, but they are equally as cute. The Tammar Wallabies are a bit on the camera shy side, but certainly worth the effort when spotted.

A crowd favourite for eco-tourism is getting a photo of this cute and fluffy local scampering around in the scrub at East Wallabi Island.

There is so much to see at the Abrolhos islands for nature lovers. Have you got a great photo from your time there? Tag us #nationwestaviation so we can see it too!