The Broome Bird Observatory (BBO) was established in 1988 by scientists who recognised the immense value of Roebuck Bay as a migratory shorebird area. We are a research and education facility, dedicated to promoting knowledge and understanding of the amazing birdlife of this region.

We’re affiliated with BirdLife Australia. However, we are financially independent and raise the revenue we need to operate by running tours, accommodation, camping and educational courses, along with sales in our shop. You can support us by coming for a visit or donating via BirdLife (mention BBO in the comments).

The friendly team out at the observatory is made up of one warden (year-round), four assistant wardens (February-October), and one or two campground hosts (monthly, March-October).

We are privileged and grateful to live and work on Yawuru country.

Check the below images for some of the things we get up to!

Introducing kids to the world of birds (and mud!)

Enjoying a BBQ breakfast during our Community Bird-watching Day at the BBO

Our weekly Dry season market stall. Our friendly staff and volunteers love to chat all things birds - and all purchases fund the BBO.

The BBO was lucky enough to host BirdLife Australia’s Congress and Campout in 2018.

Broome North West Regional TAFE joining in for Migration Watch.

The mud expedition! Researchers arrive at the BBO to assess these Ramsar mudflats - here they are in the Grant Pearson Mud Lab.

An introduction before every BBO tour.

Our Wave the Waders Goodbye event is popular among locals during migration period. Watch the shorebirds take-off with Broome researchers with their telescopes to show you everything up close.

Broome’s Spiderman checking out the Eastern Osprey on its nest from our spotting scope at the Broome markets.

Warden’s Jane and Nyil with Arnold, who provided us with a fantastic Welcome to Country in Yawuru language. Galiya Mabu!

Happy faces as these guys witness their first shorebird migration!

Our location community brushing up on their cannon-netting skills presented by the Global Flyway Network’s Chris Hassell.

Coco settling in to some birding knowledge early.

Local dinosaur footprint expert, Dianne Bennett, helping host on our Community Bird-watching Day.

Up and coming researcher, Olive, helps our warden Nyil with recording the migration data.

The BBO works as guides at the annual Karratha Community Bird-watching Morning hosted by Rio Tinto and the Pilbara Ports Authority.

Local shore-birder Sam is now a telescope expert after joining in on BBO tours.

The BBO celebrated its 30th birthday in 2018!

Community events at the Broome Library during Bird Week.

Wave the Waders Goodbye event.

Johani hosting a stall during the Shorebird’s Birthday Event at BBO.

Looking out over the plains, getting ready before the tourist season begins.

Our tour vehicles.

Bird Log is our nightly record of every species that has been seen within 70 km of the BBO. This goes into our dataset and shows long-term trends. Bird Log has been running as long as the BBO has been in existence.

As a part of the BBO’s 30th birthday, local NGO’s had their stalls set up. Here is the Flock Oz stall - paint your own shorebird.

The BBO facilitates, supports and/or assists with a range of research projects on migratory shorebirds and the local environment.

Enjoy these photos from cannon-netting and other research projects over the years.

A typical set-up under the shade during cannon-netting on the beach. It is still done this way to this day.

A younger Dr Clive Minton holding an Asian Dowitcher - on of Broome’s much sought-after birds

A Grey Plover is released by researchers after being fitted with a satellite transmitter on its back.

A Grey Plover (with its diagnostic grey armpits) flies easily with the tiny transmitter that will determine its location on its voyage in real-time, which is fed direct to the researchers.

Dr Clive Minton in 2015 with a Grey Plover.

Researcher Kathrine Leung attaches the transmitter to this Grey Plover. These tags weigh as little as 1.6g including a tiny battery that recharges via a solar panel on the tag.

Grant compares the Lesser Crested Tern (top - bright orange bill) with the Greater Crested Tern (bottom - dull yellow bill).

A successful catch! The net drapes over the birds, keeping them in place, before researchers carefully extract them.

A Yellow White-eye in the process of banding. During banding birds are fitted with uniquely coded rings and details of their weight, age and condition are recorded.

The reason for all these shorebirds? The glorious mudflats of Roebuck Bay. These mudflats have the highest benthic diversity of any mudflat studied so far.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

— Margaret Mead, anthropologist (1901-1978)