Native animals

The City of Stirling is home to an abundance of native wildlife, including quenda, boobook owl, and the button quail. Despite their valued role as companion animals, pet cats are a major threat to native wildlife. While you may not see it, research shows that over 75% of roaming pet cat’s hunt, and on average, each roaming pet cat in Australia kills approximately 110 native animals per year. Based on National research data, collectively Stirling pet cats are estimated to kill over 360,000 native animals each year in the City of Stirling alone.

Research shows that pet cats living near bushland roam further and hunt more frequently, reducing the value of our conservation areas that act as havens for native wildlife.

Most of us want to see native wildlife in our reserves and gardens. Through responsible cat ownership, you can ensure both your pet, and our wildlife stay safe and healthy. Keeping your cat contained to your property is the only way to prevent it from killing native wildlife. The good news is indoor cats live longer, happier and healthier lives than those that roam.

Each spring, a splash of colour returns as the stunning rainbow bee-eaters migrate from Australasia to raise their young here in our sandy soils.

Unlike most birds that nest in trees, these vibrant visitors are ground-nesters. They dig narrow tunnels up to a metre long into soft, sandy ground, ending in a nesting chamber where they lay their eggs. This unique behaviour makes them especially vulnerable to disturbance during breeding season. Getting too close to their nests exposes them to the risk of collapse or abandoning of hatchlings in the nest.

To help protect these precious birds, the City has installed metal nest protectors and signage around known nesting sites. Image shown below. You can do your part by:

• Keeping all activity a minimum of 10 metres away from nesting areas (this includes walking, cycling, photography or bird watching)
• Staying clear of signs and roped off areas
• Keeping dogs on lead around nesting areas
• Avoid disturbing nesting holes.

Please report activities which don’t maintain a safe distance to the City, as well as suspected nesting locations via the QR Code or call (08) 9205 8555.

The Southwestern Snake-Necked Turtle is unique to freshwater lakes, rivers and wetlands within southwestern Western Australia. It is currently the only native freshwater turtle found in widespread metropolitan Perth. An important underwater predator, the snake-necked turtle plays a crucial role in the health of aquatic ecosystems. It is currently listed as near-threatened due to low numbers of surviving juveniles as a result of predation, vehicle incidents on roads and destruction of nests. 

The Saving Our Snake Necked Turtle Program was a three year project run by Murdoch University and the South West Metropolitan Alliance from 2022 to 2024.

This project aimed to help protect a near-threatened species of Snake Necked Turtle. This wetland dwelling species is increasingly under threat due to lack of suitable nesting habitat, predation and mortality from road collisions.
As part of this we contributed in excess of 1000 volunteering hours conducting laps around Lake Gwelup. The program also protected approximately 100 turtle nests at Lake Gwelup alone. Last year we began to see the benefits of this project with some hatchlings reported for the first time in the three years.

From 2025 onwards, the City of Stirling will continue to support turtle tracking with the program now transitioning into a community-led initiative with on ground volunteers to help with turtle nesting monitoring and conservation.

To submit your expression of interest or for any enquiries about the Lake Gwelup Turtle Tracking Program, please email the Team Lead, Lilly, at folg.scturtletracking@outlook.com.

If you are interested in starting your own turtle tracking program in the City of Stirling, please contact the City of Stirling.

You may see quendas in reserves such as Star Swamp Bushland, Trigg Bushland, Dianella Regional Open, Space and along our coastal dunes. The presence is often shown by their cone shaped diggings along with the presence of dense undergrowth and shrubs for protection.

With a hop and long snout that sets them apart from rats, they play an important role in keeping reserves healthy by spreading fungi spores and seeds, aerating the soil and recycling organic matter. Conservation efforts focus on restoring their habitats with a healthy understory of plants and protection from invasive species and predators. 

These nocturnal creatures have been reported in areas surrounding Trigg Bushland, Star Swamp Bushland, and Mirrabooka Bushland. They have a distinctive bushy tail, as well as a silvery-grey colour and pointy ears. In urban areas they are often found in tree hollows, and roof cavities of some homes. They are vital for the dispersion of seeds and pollination. Providing nesting boxes can help support their populations.  

Information about their population size and range within the City is unknown. If you have seen a possum in the reserve or in your backyard, please let the City’s Natural Areas Conservation team know. 

The European honeybee can have a negative effect on our bushland and native species by taking up nesting hollows and deterring native bee species. Where nests pose a safety risk, the City may engage with a contractor to remove beehives in our bushlands, parks and streetscapes. 

To report beehives that pose a safety risk in public reserves, please fill in our online form. Visit the website for more information on the City's beekeeping rules.