But – for now at least – these frantic little creatures are calling the Lower Hunter home.

Described as a “true wildlife spectacle”, a mass migration of songbirds has pulled up stumps near Minmi and further west near Mount Sugarloaf.

“These birds are moving through in their thousands,” Hunter Bird Observers Club records officer Mick Roderick said.

“We’ve had counts of close to 20,000 birds in an hour at Mount Sugarloaf and estimates upwards of that from near Minmi. 

“It’s something that you don’t need to be a birdwatcher to be impressed by.”

The birds typically migrate north to Queensland during the cooler months.

However, experts are dumbfounded as to why they are funnelling so close to Newcastle at this time.

The migrating flocks comprise of up to 10 species, but bird spotters are most likely to find yellow-faced honeyeaters and silvereyes.

“Some of the silvereyes have even flown from as far as Tasmania,” Mr Roderick said.

The best spot to see the birds is at the nature reserve on Cedar Hill Drive at Lenaghan.

Flocks generally fly through from about 8am to noon in clear conditions.