Frequently Asked Questions
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OTS Birding Tours is a Perth-based company offering private, guided birdwatching and nature tours around Perth, the Southwest and the wider state of Western Australia. Our guides are experienced local birders, and every tour is built around what you want to see.
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Yes. Our tours are just for you and your group, tailored to your interests and pace.
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Our Western Australian tours are led by our local guides who live in Perth. You can read more about them on our About Us page.
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Yes. OTS Birding Tours is an accredited sustainable tour company with the Western Australian Tourism Commission.
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Yes. We run custom tours further afield in Western Australia, including the southwest, central desert, Turquoise Coast, Pilbara, and Kimberley. These tours are built around the species and habitats you most want to experience.
We also offer international tours to select destinations.
About us
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Our Perth tours typically target Western Australian endemics and more widespread, iconic Australian species, depending on your preference.
No sighting is guaranteed, but we usually see 65-90 species during a full-day Perth birding tour. Some commonly seen highlights include Black Swan, Black Cockatoos, Red-capped Parrot and other parrots, Fairywrens, honeyeaters including Western Spinebill, Robins, Western Shriketit, Red-eared Firetail, and seasonal visitors such as Fairy Tern. Our tours page has a more comprehensive list of target species.
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Yes. On Perth tours we sometimes see Western Grey Kangaroos, Western Brush Wallabies, Southern Brown Bandicoot, and a variety of butterflies, reptiles, and other wildlife.
Further away from Perth, the Southwest is home to iconic animals such as Quokkas, Honey Possums and Numbats, and we can include them in your tour where possible.
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Yes. Our tours can be tailored to a target species, a particular habitat, or a simply relaxed day out in the bush. Tell us what you are hoping to see when you get in touch.
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Our standard Perth tours visit a variety of habitats including native Jarrah forest and Wandoo woodlands, wetlands, and sometimes other habitats depending on your interests. This gives the best chance of experiencing the diversity as well as the endemic species in the Perth area.
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Spring (September to November) is the best season for birding in Perth and the Southwest. Perth is also an excellent birding destination year-round, and we tailor each tour around local knowledge of recent sightings and bird activity.
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In Perth, we offer a half-day tour (5 hours), a full-day tour (9 hours) and a two-day tour (9 hours per day). A half-day suits a first taste of Perth's birdlife, while a full day lets us spend longer with each habitat and target species. A two-day tour gives the widest range of habitats and endemic species, and the best chance at harder-to-find species. If you are unsure, contact us and we will recommend an option.
For multi-day tours into the southwest or elsewhere in Western Australia, contact us and we will help you design a tour that suits your needs.
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Tours depart from the Perth metropolitan area, and we can pick you up from your accommodation.
About Perth birding tours
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Please email admin@ornitech.au or phone +61 438 910 252 to make a booking or discuss a custom tour. You can also use our contact page.
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Perth half-day, full-day, or two-day tours include: transport, hotel pickup, drinking water, lunch (excluding half-day tours), morning/afternoon tea, park entry fees, and loan binoculars (upon request).
Multi-day tours typically include extras such as meals and accommodation. We will confirm whether this is part of the cost when you enquire about other tours.
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Perth half-day, full-day, or two-day tours do NOT include: accommodation, meals, flights or travel before and after the tour start/end, visa, travel insurance, tips, laundry, drinks, and other items of a personal nature.
The same applies to multi-day tours, except that multi-day tours typically do include meals and accommodation. We will confirm whether this is part of the cost when you enquire about other tours.
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For Perth half-day, full-day, and two-day birding tours:
We may amend or cancel a tour at at short notice based on weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances. If we cancel a tour, we will offer a full refund (minus card credit card or bank transfer fees), or the chance to reschedule.
If you choose to cancel a tour at least 48 hours before the start of a booked tour, we will offer a full refund (minus card credit card or bank transfer fees).
If you choose to cancel a tour less than 48 hours before the start of a booked tour, this will result in a partial refund of 80% of the tour cost.
Contact us for our full cancellation policy regarding multi-day tours.