There are over 140 birds seen on Long Reef and 40 of these are listed as NSW threatened or protected species.

Click here for factsheets about the local Long Reef Birdlife

There is one family of Kestrels which nests regularly on Long Reef.

Pied Cormorants or Yellow-faced or Black and White Shags are seen singly or in flocks.

Egrets develop a beautiful lace of fine plumes in the breeding season. Prior to their protection they were shot and the plumes used in the millinery trade.

Superb Fairy Wrens are still abundant on Long Reef, their main habitat being the area behind the Long Reef Beach sand dunes between the surf club and golf course.

This nomadic species is a fairly common bird of prey which occurs singly or in pairs. Kites are hovering hawks.

The White Faced Heron or Blue Crane is a very common species that may be seen singly, in pairs, or small groups on waterholes, swamps, and creeks.

The ubiquitous Pelican is found all over Australia and Tasmania wherever a suitable habitat of estuaries, rivers, lakes and mud-flats occur.