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Urban Habitat
Urban habitat Image: Melissa Murray
Courtesy Australian Museum, Public Domain, Photographer: Melissa Murray, Date: [year] (This image is in the Australian Museum collection, but copyright has expired. This licence allows sharing, remixing and use for commercial purposes)

Urban environments have:

  • residential and business buildings and a high concentration of people
  • opportunities for animals to scavenge
  • roads and domestic pets that are dangerous to wildlife

There are, however, many animals that thrive in our towns and cities. Sydney's gardens, parks, ponds and even houses and buildings provide opportunities for many species. The outer suburbs, particularly those close to one of the many national parks that surround the city, have a great diversity of wildlife. Native plants attract insects, spiders and birds, lizards and if there is water nearby, frogs. Backyards can be a haven for native wildlife.

Possums, bandicoots, gliders, lizards, snakes, frogs, many spectacular birds as well as many different insects and other invertebrates live in and around Sydney.

Lots of people live in big cities and towns. Many Australian plants and animals have adapted to live with us in our gardens, buildings, parks and harbours. Find out what might live in your backyard.


Lots of animals and plants like to share our gardens with us. Some people create special habitats to encourage animals and plants to live in their yards. Ponds, bird baths and native plants are some ways to make your garden more appealing to local animals.


Parks are open natural places in town and cities. There are lots of different types of parks but they all are places where plants and animals live.

High-rise buildings

Big cities often have very tall buildings. While these areas often have little native habitat left some animals still find food and shelter in the middle of the city.


Houses are not just homes for us but animals and plants often live in them too.