Bush Stone-curlews

Bush Stone-curlews at Hobart Zoo and Aquarium

With their long legs, wide eyes, and ghostly night calls, Bush Stone-curlews are some of the most hauntingly beautiful birds in Australia. Their stillness is legendary—they’ll freeze like statues to avoid detection, blending into the bush with perfect camouflage.

In the wild

Native to open woodlands, grasslands, and arid zones across most of mainland Australia, these ground-dwelling birds are mostly nocturnal and incredibly quiet by day—until night falls and their eerie, wailing calls echo across the landscape.

How We Care for Our Curlews at Hobart Zoo and Aquarium

Ground Game

Our curlew habitat is built low and open, with plenty of cover, leaf litter, and logs, just like the natural bushland they thrive in.
Night-Time Feeders

As nocturnal hunters, curlews are given a varied diet of insects, small vertebrates, and meat-based treats, offered in the evening to encourage natural foraging behaviours.
Still Life Enrichment

We provide natural textures, sight barriers, and nesting zones, allowing curlews to feel safe, invisible, and completely at home.

🐾 See if you can spot them—Bush Stone-curlews are masters of the art of stillness, and one of the most fascinating examples of Australia’s unique birdlife.