Yellow birds in Australia may be mostly yellow, or they may only show a bright crest, breast, wing patch or face marking. Note exactly where the yellow appeared.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo — Photo: Donald Davesne, CC BY 4.0, source.
Eastern Rosella — Photo: SuperJew, CC BY-SA 3.0, source.
New Holland Honeyeater — Photo: Louise Docker, CC BY 2.0, source.
Rainbow Lorikeet — Photo: Cyron Ray Macey, CC BY 2.0, source.
Likely birds to compare
- Sulphur-crested Cockatoo — large white cockatoo with a striking yellow crest and yellow underwing wash.
- Eastern Rosella — yellow belly with red head, white cheeks and patterned wings.
- New Holland Honeyeater — black-and-white honeyeater with bright yellow wing and tail panels.
- Rainbow Lorikeet — orange-yellow breast that can look strongly yellow at distance.
- Masked Lapwing — yellow facial wattles and yellow legs rather than an all-yellow body.
How to identify the bird
Check whether the yellow is on the head, chest, wings, rump or legs. Size and bill shape are especially useful: a large curved-billed cockatoo, a small nectar-feeding honeyeater and a long-legged lapwing can all show yellow but are otherwise very different.
Return to Identify Australian Birds if these candidates do not fit.