Australia's mythological birds come from Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, with key figures like Bunjil (a creator spirit often as a wedge-tailed eagle) and Waang (Crow) (a trickster/hero) being prominent, alongside creatures like the Bunyip, sometimes linked to the cassowary or bittern, and the mysterious Night Parrot, almost a legend due to its elusiveness.
The uniquely impressive Emu is honoured as a true symbol of Australia. The Emu was believed to be chosen for the Australian National Coat of Arms because they are said to represent forward progress.
Bunjil, also spelt Bundjil, is a creator deity, culture hero and ancestral being, often depicted as a wedge-tailed eagle in Australian Aboriginal mythology of some of the Aboriginal peoples of Victoria.
One of the best-known Australian animals, the raucous 'laugh' of a kookaburra echoing through the bush is an iconic sound of the Australian landscape.
Option 'c' is Emu. It is the second largest bird by height, after its relative, ostrich. It is the national bird of Australia.
The oozlum bird, also spelled ouzelum, is a legendary creature found in Australian and British folk tales and legends.
Hunted for meat and for sport, and used as a motif in the decorative arts, the kangaroo was finally recognised as an official symbol of Australia when it was included on the nation's coat of arms in 1908. The kangaroo has appeared on currency and stamps and on Royal Australian Air Force aircraft.
Casuarius casuarius johnsonii. Southern Cassowary 🪶 Dubbed as the world's most dangerous bird, the Southern Cassowary has a vivid blue neck and striking long red wattles. If they feel threatened this flightless bird can deliver a powerful kick strong enough to break bones.
Australian birds are also renowned for their unique behaviours, such as the Superb Lyrebird's ability to mimic a wide variety of sounds or the Satin Bowerbird's elaborate decorations and placement of bright blue coloured objects surrounding his bower.
Yara-ma-yha-who, Australian Outback
A cryptid creature also known as 'The Outback Vampire' has been told in Australian Aboriginal mythology since the Dreamtime.
Australia's national symbols that have been officially chosen (via vote, legislation or proclamation) to represent Australia and its states and territories include the Australian National Flag; the Commonwealth Coat of Arms; our floral emblem, the golden wattle; the celebratory national colours of green and gold; and ...
Garuda is described as the king of the birds and a kite-like figure. He is shown either in a zoomorphic form (a giant bird with partially open wings) or an anthropomorphic form (a man with wings and some bird-like features).
Fairy-wrens, emu-wrens, and grasswrens (Maluridae), twenty-nine species, twenty-three endemic to Australia and six to New Guinea. Australasian babblers (Pomatostomidae), four of the five species are endemic to Australia. Logrunners (Orthonychidae), three species, two endemic to Australia and one to New Guinea.
The results are in: the Tawny Frogmouth is Bird of the Year 2025. Following two weeks of eliminations and fierce competition, the Tawny Frogmouth has taken the top spot in Australia's favourite bird poll.
More than 80% of our plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia and are found nowhere else in the world. Some of our Australian animals are very well known like kangaroos, dingos, wallabies and wombats and of course the koala, platypus and echidna.
The Eagle-"The King of the Sky" In my life, one of the most inspirational animals is the eagle which is known as "the king of the bird kingdom". The eagle is a bird of nature. Known for its strength and flying ability at high altitudes.
KingKong Gorilla 🦍 definitely. The Kangaroo 🦘 isn't strong enough to mess up the Gorilla without getting grabbed or swatted away. With the kind of strength the Gorilla has, it isn't going to take much to beat the Kangaroo.
Dromornis planei was a massive bird with a formidable bill. It belonged to a uniquely Australian family of extinct flightless birds, the dromornithids (mihirungs). Because of the close relationship between mihirungs and ducks, Dromornis planei has been nicknamed the 'Demon Duck of Doom'.
Towering at five and a half feet tall, sprinting up to 31 miles per hour, and leaping up to seven feet off the ground, cassowaries are the stuff of legends. They are the third largest bird in the world, weighing up to 175 pounds with sharp talons that grow up to five inches long.
The Golden Whistler belongs to the Family Pachycephalidae, which means 'thick-head' after the group's robust necks and heads. This species is one of Australia's loudest and most beautiful songsters.
Australia: No official motto. Formerly Advance Australia.
Quokkas have smiley faces and are sometimes friendly around people, so tourists to Australia's Rottnest Island often get too close. The extra attention could put quokkas in danger—or it might help the species survive.
Australian Icons – People and Celebrities