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Acknowledgements: City of Canning, Department
of Conservation and Land Management, Department of Water.
Birds are the most conspicuous fauna of the region. Ninety-seven
species of bird have been observed in the Canning River Regional
Park alone – which is approximately half the number of species
recorded on the Swan Coastal Plain.
Canning River Regional Park bird survey
of Shelley list
The Canning River region is used as a nesting site
by most of the resident birds. Waterbirds are attracted to the area
because it is a productive aquatic ecosystem, the river banks have
fringing vegetation which provides cover and nesting sites for many
species and trees along the shore provide nesting and roosting sites.
The tidal mudflats around Riverton Bridge provide a valuable feeding
ground for waterbirds and waders such as the Great Egret, Black-winged
Stilt and Red-necked Avocet. The Canning River has been found to
be the most important wetland in WA for the Dusky Moorhen and the
Buff-banded Rail. It also supports relatively large numbers of Little
Pied and Little Black Cormorants, Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal
wetlands provides an important habitat for many other species of
waterbirds including the Australasian Grebe, Black-fronted Plover
and migratory birds including the Greenshank, Curlew Sandpiper and
Birds of prey that frequent the region include Ospreys,
Little Eagles, Australian Hobby, Black-shouldered Kite, Brown Falcons,
Whistling Kites and Sea Eagles.
Other birds observed in the region include a great
variety of ducks, Eurasian Coots, Hoary-headed Grebes, Black Swans,
Spoonbills, Ibis, Australian Pelicans, Magpie Larks, Wattle Birds,
Butcher Birds, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, Black Cockatoos, Rainbow
Bee-eaters, Magpies, Rainbow Lorikeets and Willy Wagtails.
Five large reptiles are found within the region and there are also
abundant smaller lizards. The five large reptiles are; Long-necked
Turtle, Dugite, Western Tiger Snake, Bob-tailed Skink and the Western
The Brush-tail Possum, Short-nosed Bandicoot and native water rats
are present in the Canning River Regional Park. The Quenda (Southern
Brown Bandicoot) is found in Brixton Street Wetlands and Forrestdale
Lake Nature Reserve.
Spiders are also abundant and include the Golden Orb-weaving Spider,
Saint Andrew's Cross Spider and the Christmas Spider.
Numerous frogs inhabit the area. Species recorded include the Western
Green Tree/ Motorbike Frog, Slender Tree Frog, Moaning Frog and
the Western Sign Bearing/ Squelching Froglet.
Insects include butterflies, dragonflies, scorpion flies, grasshoppers,
mosquitoes, beetles, slaters, ants, termites.
The fish of the Canning River is comprised of 12 species including
four native freshwater fishes (Cobbler, Western Minnow, Western
Pygmy Perch and Nightfish), 3 fishes that are generally considered
estuarine species (Western Hardyhead, South-west Goby, and the Sea
Mullet), and four introduced species (the One-spot Livebearer, Eastern
Mosquitofish, Goldfish and the Rainbow Trout).
There are also many varieties of zooplankton, shrimp,
mussels, crab, prawns, tubeworms, bloodworms and dolphins are often
seen as far up as Riverton Bridge.
Centipedes and millipedes.