Royal National Park

🇦🇺 Australia

🦫 Water Dragons Bask on Coastal Sandstone

🌍 #207 Global · 3.4 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #15 in Oceania #34 in Temperate Forest

Australia, Australia 709 spp. recorded

Royal National Park sits just south of Sydney, protecting a rugged stretch of coastal temperate forest, deep sandstone valleys, and heathlands. Unlike many reserves focused on inland outback, this protected area meets the ocean directly, wrapping dense eucalyptus canopies around dramatic sea cliffs and secluded beaches.

-34.115° S 151.063° E

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Koala

Phascolarctos cinereus

10–20% · With luck

Swamp Wallaby

Wallabia bicolor

10–20% · Possible

Australian Water Dragon

Intellagama lesueurii

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Cacatua galerita

50–60% · Likely

Coconut Lorikeet

Trichoglossus haematodus

40–50% · Likely

Laughing Kookaburra

Dacelo novaeguineae

40–50% · Likely

Jacky Lashtail

Amphibolurus muricatus

40–50% · Likely

Australian Raven

Corvus coronoides

40–50% · Likely

Short-beaked Echidna

Tachyglossus aculeatus

30–40% · Possible

Lewin's Honeyeater

Meliphaga lewinii

30–40% · Possible

Pied Currawong

Strepera graculina

30–40% · Possible

Australian Magpie

Gymnorhina tibicen

30–40% · Possible

Lace Monitor

Varanus varius

30–40% · Possible

Eastern Water Skink

Eulamprus quoyii

30–40% · Possible

Little Wattlebird

Anthochaera chrysoptera

30–40% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

Koala

Phascolarctos cinereus

10–20% · With luck

Swamp Wallaby

Wallabia bicolor

10–20% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Short-beaked Echidna

Tachyglossus aculeatus

30–40% · Possible

Javan Rusa

Rusa timorensis

20–30% · Possible

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

10–20% · Possible

Grey-headed Flying-fox

Pteropus poliocephalus

10–20% · Possible

Common Ringtail Possum

Pseudocheirus peregrinus

10–20% · Possible

Brown Antechinus

Antechinus stuartii

10–20% · With luck

Common Brushtail

Trichosurus vulpecula

10–20% · With luck

Australian Swamp Rat

Rattus lutreolus

0–10% · With luck

Sugar Glider

Petaurus breviceps

0–10% · With luck

Long-nosed Bandicoot

Perameles nasuta

0–10% · With luck

Afro-Australian Fur Seal

Arctocephalus pusillus

0–10% · With luck

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

0–10% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Cacatua galerita

50–60% · Likely

Coconut Lorikeet

Trichoglossus haematodus

40–50% · Likely

Laughing Kookaburra

Dacelo novaeguineae

40–50% · Likely

Australian Raven

Corvus coronoides

40–50% · Likely

Lewin's Honeyeater

Meliphaga lewinii

30–40% · Possible

Pied Currawong

Strepera graculina

30–40% · Possible

Australian Magpie

Gymnorhina tibicen

30–40% · Possible

Little Wattlebird

Anthochaera chrysoptera

30–40% · Possible

Noisy Miner

Manorina melanocephala

30–40% · Possible

Eastern Yellow Robin

Eopsaltria australis

30–40% · Possible

Eastern Whipbird

Psophodes olivaceus

30–40% · Possible

Australian Wood Duck

Chenonetta jubata

30–40% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

Australian Water Dragon

Intellagama lesueurii

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Jacky Lashtail

Amphibolurus muricatus

40–50% · Likely

Lace Monitor

Varanus varius

30–40% · Possible

Eastern Water Skink

Eulamprus quoyii

30–40% · Possible

Copper-tailed Ctenotus

Ctenotus taeniolatus

20–30% · Possible

Red-bellied Black Snake

Pseudechis porphyriacus

10–20% · Possible

Carpet Python

Morelia spilota

10–20% · Possible

Broad-tailed Gecko

Phyllurus platurus

10–20% · Possible

Hunter River Short-necked Turtle

Emydura macquarii

10–20% · Possible

Green Turtle

Chelonia mydas

10–20% · Possible

Black Treesnake

Dendrelaphis punctulatus

10–20% · With luck

Common Scaly-foot

Pygopus lepidopodus

10–20% · With luck

Common Bluetongue

Tiliqua scincoides

10–20% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Common Eastern Froglet

Crinia signifera

20–30% · Possible

Leaf Green Treefrog

Ranoidea phyllochroa

10–20% · Possible

Peron's Tree Frog

Litoria peronii

10–20% · With luck

Eastern Dwarf Treefrog

Litoria fallax

10–20% · With luck

Red-crowned Toadlet

Pseudophryne australis

10–20% · With luck

Giant Burrowing Frog

Heleioporus australiacus

10–20% · With luck

Striped Marsh Frog

Limnodynastes peronii

10–20% · With luck

Wallum Rocket Frog

Litoria freycineti

0–10% · With luck

Pobblebonk

Limnodynastes dumerilii

Insufficient data

Haswell's Froglet

Paracrinia haswelli

Insufficient data

Verreaux's Tree Frog

Litoria verreauxii

Insufficient data

Jervis Bay Treefrog

Litoria jervisiensis

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🦌

Humpback Whale Migration

MayJunJulOct

Humpback whales migrate along the park's coastline, offering spectacular aerial displays and close encounters from coastal vantage points.

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

10–20% · Possible

🦌

Koala Breeding Season

AugSepOct

Koalas become highly active during breeding season, with males bellowing to attract mates and females carrying young in their pouches.

Koala

Phascolarctos cinereus

10–20% · With luck

🐦

Rainforest Bird Chorus

AugSepOctNov

The park's rainforests erupt in a symphony of bird calls at dawn, with species like Lewin's Honeyeater and Eastern Whipbird leading the chorus.

Lewin's Honeyeater

Meliphaga lewinii

30–40% · Possible

Eastern Whipbird

Psophodes olivaceus

30–40% · Possible

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

20–30

20–30

20–30

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

0–10

10–20

10–20

<5

<5

<5

<5

10–20

10–20

20–30

<5

<5

10–20

10–20

20–30

0–10

20–30

20–30

20–30

20–30

0–10

10–20

10–20

10–20

Australian Water Dragon

60–70

50–60

60–70

40–50

20–30

20–30

10–20

30–40

40–50

60–70

60–70

70–80

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

40–50

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

40–50

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

Coconut Lorikeet

50–60

50–60

30–40

40–50

40–50

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

30–40

40–50

Laughing Kookaburra

40–50

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

20–30

10–20

10–20

30–40

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

Australian Raven

40–50

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

50–60

50–60

50–60

30–40

40–50

Short-beaked Echidna

30–40

30–40

20–30

20–30

20–30

20–30

20–30

40–50

50–60

40–50

40–50

30–40

Lewin's Honeyeater

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

20–30

30–40

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

20–30

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

20–30

Australian Magpie

30–40

30–40

30–40

20–30

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

<5

<5

<5

10–20

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

Eastern Water Skink

40–50

40–50

40–50

20–30

10–20

<5

10–20

20–30

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

Little Wattlebird

30–40

30–40

20–30

30–40

30–40

30–40

20–30

20–30

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

Animal Events

🐦 Rainforest Bird Chorus

🦌 Humpback Whale Migration

🦌 Koala Breeding Season

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good

🦫 Water Dragons Bask on Coastal Sandstone

🦜

Biodiversity

Excellent

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

459

🐒 Mammals

123

🦎 Reptiles

91

🐸 Amphibians

36

709 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

57 Threatened 287 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

2.8 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

41%

📊

Coverage (136 species at ≥5% of 709 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

19%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (7 bird, 4 reptile, 1 mammal)

47% Global avg

72%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

76

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

11

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

6

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