This page aims to help you plan an unforgettable birdwatching holiday in Tropical North Queensland.
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Visit our website (www.birdingtnq.com.au) to download our Bird Trails brochure and explore all the best birding sites, guides & places to stay.
https://www.athertontablelandsbirdwatcherscabin.com.au/2022/05/02/sleepy-cassowary/
The dominant male cassowary ("Dad") in our area feels quite relaxed around us. So much so, that sometimes he sits down and dozes off for a while. You wouldn't really want to sit down on the forest…
Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis) are an uncommon summer migrant (October to April) to low-altitude rivers & wetlands. In general, they are small dark grey heron (bigger than a Striated Heron) often with streaks on the chest. The male has straw-coloured facial stripes like a handlebar moustache. They are generally secretive, not often in the open. They are present over the summer Wet Season period before migrating to Papua New Guinea and possibly the Gulf of Carpentaria. A Daintree cruise is a great way to see them, often nesting along the river from December to March. Key 'Bird Trails' sites where they may be observed include Redden Island, Cattana Wetland, Newell Beach, Daintree Village (a specialty of Daintree River cruises).
Visit our website (www.birdingtnq.com.au) for more information on birding sites, guides and accommodations. Image courtesy of Cassowary Tours
Beach Stone-curlew (Esacus magnirostris), a relative of the more common Bush Stone-curlew, is a resident of beaches and estuaries - most beaches of the region will have a pair or family. They have a large bill for catching crabs. They are most likely to be found actively foraging as the tide recedes, and crabs emerge as mud becomes exposed. At higher tides they are likely to be more difficult, residing in debris or vegetation at and beyond the high tide line. Best on weekdays when beaches are less occupied by people and dogs. Key 'Bird Trails' sites where they may be observed include Cairns Foreshore, Redden Island, Yule Point, Newell Beach, Wonga Beach and Etty Bay. 'Bird Trails' accommodations where they may be observed include Thala Beach Nature Reserve.
Visit our website (www.birdingtnq.com.au) for more information on birding sites, guides and accommodations. Image courtesy of Doug Herrington of Birdwatching Tropical Australia
Great-billed Heron (Ardea sumatrana) are an uncommon, slaty-grey heron, generally secretive, mostly residing in coastal creeks and rivers. They are large - the third largest heron of the world - much larger than other herons of Australia. They can occasionally be observed foraging on mud of low tide in estuaries. Another great way to observe them is via a boat cruise in suitable habitat. Prey includes fish, eels and said to take the occasional small crocodile. Key 'Bird Trails' sites where they may be observed include Cairns Foreshore, Redden Island, Newell Beach, and Daintree Village (a specialty of Daintree River cruises).
Visit our website (www.birdingtnq.com.au) for more information on birding sites, guides and accommodations. Image courtesy of Alfred Schulte.
Pied Monarch (Arses kaupi) are a delightful black & white monarch with a wonderful blue eye ring. They are a fairly common Wet Tropic endemic of rainforest and woodlands, present year round at all altitudes. They forage solo or in pairs on tree trunks and branches, sometimes upside down, searching for small insects. Call is a rapid repetitive series of the same note, like an alarm. Key 'Bird Trails' sites where they may be seen include: Mossman Gorge, Stewart Creek Rd, Black Mountain Rd, Curtain Fig NP, Mt Hypipamee NP, Wongabel SF, Crater Lakes NP. 'Bird Trails' accommodations where they may be seen include Atherton Tablelands Birdwatchers’ Cabin, Cassowary House and Crater Lakes Rainforest Cottages.
Visit our website (www.birdingtnq.com.au) for more information on birding sites, guides and accommodations. Image courtesy of Jun Matsui of Cassowary Tours
Superb Fruitdoves are difficult birds to track down as they tend to call in the early morning during breeding season. The best way then is to find where they are feeding. The guides listed on this page spend a lot of time checking out their patch of rainforest so usually know where figs and laurels are coming into fruit.
These two males were part of a feeding aggregation which totalled near to 20 on one morning this week, seen with Alan's Wildlife Tours. Also feeding with them were Wompoos, Barred Cuckoo-shrikes, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, a Tooth-billed Bowerbird and various other more commonly seen birds.
Bird Quiz. Which uncommon bird of tropical North Qld has a colloquial name of Golden Gardener?
For more information and quiz questions visit our website (www.birdingtnq.com.au)
Bird Trails Tropical North Queensland All the best birding sites, guides and places to stay. Birds Regions, Birds, Operators ‘Wet Tropics’ Endemics Recent Taxonomic Changes Seasonal Changes Guides Alan’s Wildlife Tours Birdwatching Tropical Australia Cassowary Tours Daintree Boatman Wildlife C...
Chowchilla (Orthonyx spaldingii) are an uncommon ground-dwelling bird of mid to high altitude rainforest. They often forage noisily in leaf debris on the rainforest floor in pairs or family groups of half a dozen or more. Legs kick leaf litter sideways, leaving quite distinctive circular scratchings. Smaller birds, particularly Fernwren, may follow foraging parties to take insects revealed in the more vigorous diggings of Chowchillas. An old colloquial name is the 'Auctioneer-bird' due to it loud raucous stream of calls including mimicry. Males have a white chest whilst the female has a rich rufous chest. Chowchilla are 1 of 15 endemic bird species present in the Wet Tropics. Key 'Bird Trails' sites where they may be found include: Mt Lewis, Black Mountain Rd, Mt Hypipamee NP, Wongabel SF, Crater Lakes NP. 'Bird Trails' accommodations where they may be found include: Cassowary House, Crater Lakes Rainforest Cottages.
Visit our website (www.birdingtnq.com.au) for more information on birding sites, guides and accommodations. Image courtesy of Jun Matsui of Cassowary Tours
Fernwren (Oreoscopus gutturalis), endemic to the Wet Tropics, is a
delightful, small mouse-like bird of the rainforest floor of mid to high altitude. They commonly forage through deep leaf litter, sometimes disappearing briefly under logs, between rocks. They are usually solo or in pairs and sometimes follow Chowchillas, finding insects in their diggings. Their call is a penetrating series of drawn-out notes, seemingly ascending and getting louder. Key Bird Trails sites where they may be seen include: Mt Lewis, Mt Hypipamee, Crater Lakes NP.
Image courtesy of Dean Ingwersen.
Visit our website (www.birdingtnq.com.au) for more information on birding sites, guides and accommodations.
Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) are one of the most sought-after, most iconic birds of Tropical North Queensland. They are an endangered flightless ratite, resident of rainforest from coastal lowlands to high altitude. They may be found foraging along rainforest roads and carparks feeding on rainforest fruit particularly Blue Quandong and Cassowary Plum. Both males and female cassowaries have a deep booming call that can be heard 200-300 metres away. Males usually nest in the winter and are a little less visible at that time. Free-ranging wild cassowaries often frequent gardens of rainforest accommodations. Key Bird Trails sites where they may be seen include: Jindalba Boardwalk, Black Mountain Rd, Mt Hypipamee NP, Etty Bay, Lacey Creek. Accommodations where they may be seen include: Cassowary House and Atherton Tablelands Birdwatchers' Cabin.
Image courtesy of Doug Herrington of Birdwatching Tropical Australia.
Visit our website (www.birdingtnq.com.au) for more information about birding sites, guides and accommodations.
This page aims to help you plan an unforgettable birdwatching holiday in Tropical North Queensland.
Visit our website (www.birdingtnq.com.au) to explore all the best birding sites, guides & places to stay.
To download our Bird Trails brochure click this link (www.birdingtnq.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Bird-Trails-Tropical-Qld-Brochure.pdf).
Bird Trails T.N.Q Site 7. CATTANA WETLANDS. Located about 15 mins north of central Cairns, this rehabilitated canefield and quarry is now providing great habitat for a good variety of bush and water birds. Here is a small selection of the birds that can be oberved here. All images supplied courtesy of Jon Westaway
Bird Trails T.NQ. Site 1. CAIRNS FORESHORE. The Cairns Esplanade is a famous location to view migratory waders. Last summer there was a bit of excitement with the arrival of a new wader, and he has arrived again this year! Nordmann's Greenshank! Images courtesy of Jun Matsui of Cassowary Tours.
https://www.athertontablelandsbirdwatcherscabin.com.au/2021/11/21/noisy-pittas-summer-visitors/
Noisy Pittas are summer visitors to the higher parts of the Atherton tablelands (we are at 1000m elevation), and we usually hear the first ones in December. This year they have arrived a bit earlier.
Bird Trails T.NQ. Site 2. CENTENARY LAKES. Located in the northern area of central Cairns, this parkland has both fresh and saltwater lakes, lowland swamp forest, melaleuca wetlands and good birds! It is a good spot for Pale-vented Bush-hen, Little Kingfisher, Black Bittern and occasionally Spotted Whistling-duck.
Bush-hen image provided courtesy of Jun Matsui of Cassowary Tours from a visit to the lakes today.
https://birdwatchingtropicalaustralia.blogspot.com/2021/10/seven-days-to-iron-range-and-back.html
Departing Mossman at 7 am on day one we has a brief stop at Mary Farms to see if we could get a few photos of the Australian Bustard in th...
Bird Trails T.N.Q Site 4. Cairns Cemetery (aka Pioneer Cemetery). Situated in the northern suburbs of Cairns, close to the Botanical Gardens, this is a great site to see and photograph Bush Stone-curlew. There are a multitude of flowering trees and shrubs at this site that often attract a range of honeyeaters. Rainbow Bee-eaters often excavate nesting chambers directly in the sandy soil and the open conditions make it a good site to find Double-eyed Fig-parrot.
Images courtesy of Jay Hayward.
A fantastic site to visit whilst exploring our Bird Trails in Cairns is Michaelmas Cay. We recommend a visit with Seastar Cruises. Here are some of the birds seen early October. All images courtesy of Tom Collis.
Bird Trails TNQ Site 17. ABATTOIR SWAMP. The woodland area around the carpark is often productive and when the paperbark trees are flowering large numbers of lorikeets and honeyeaters are attracted to the area. Find below some images from a recent visit by Jay Hayward.
Mr C post 2
The Cassowary (known to those involved in the study as Mr C.) was first spotted sitting in the dark of the rainforest on a flattish section of a steep sided ridge on July 11th. As he was seen there again on the 14th it was assumed that he was on eggs. He was still there on the 16th when I was shown the spot. On the 18th of July I took a stool and waited. I waited a long time before he stood up to the reveal the eggs.
Why are not more sightings made of wild Cassowaries on eggs or at the nest? Well take a look at the spot this bird chose. In bright light the black shiny feathers cause the bird to lose its solid shape as the areas hit by sunlight ‘burn out’ and the edges for which our eyes are used to looking for just disappear. Use the eggs to find the bird standing over them.
For those friends with whom I’ve been a bit secretive lately this is the reason. This bird and his four eggs were on private land. Even if I gained permission to take others there, at point could I stop once I began? For the welfare of the bird I decide to take only a videographer.
Here is a self-portrait taken with a trail camera.
Over the next few days I’ll tell the story.
https://www.athertontablelandsbirdwatcherscabin.com.au/2021/09/02/colourful-riflebird/
If you think that the adult male Victoria's Riflebird is just a black bird with a few blue bits, you haven't seen one in the right light, yet. With the sun shining on him from the right angle…
Bird Trails Site 32 - Hasties Swamp. A quick stop today revealed an impressive number of ducks (more than a thousand) mostly comprised of Plumed Whistling-duck, with lesser numbers of Wandering, Pacific Black, Pink-eared, Grey Teal and Hardhead. Also Swamp Harrier and Pacific Baza in attendance.
Bird Trails Site 13. Daintree Village & River. Over the last month a White-throated Nightjar has been sighted most days since early June. A similar thing occurred two years ago. On that occasion a single bird was observable from early June to late September. We'll see if the same occurs with this fellow. Image courtesy of Scott Linnane.
https://www.athertontablelandsbirdwatcherscabin.com.au/2021/06/06/cassowary-season-2021/
Autumn in Wondecla means cassowary season: fruit in the rainforest is getting sparser, whereas there is plenty of tucker in the wet sclerophyll forest. One month ago Dad re-appeared with one small…
https://birdwatchingtropicalaustralia.blogspot.com/2021/04/birding-abattoir-swamp-at-julatten.html
Although not looking its best anymore Abattoir Swamp is still worth a visit. One of the main attractions here is the rather confiding pair ...
https://www.athertontablelandsbirdwatcherscabin.com.au/2021/04/20/this-and-that/
This wet season left us about 500mm short of our average rainfall, but a low near the coast right now might be just making up for it. Many birds have been molting, like this Satin Bowerbird…
My latest blog which I just had to share! This was a fantastic half day birding tour around Port Douglas area with guests who did not bring binoculars so we made good use of the spotting scope.
https://birdwatchingtropicalaustralia.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-half-day-tour-scoping-around-port.html
www.birdwatchingtropicalaustralia.com.au
We had a great half day tour yesterday, originally for four guests but one could not make it. Pick-up time was 7am at the Sheraton Mirage ...
Here's another quiz question I'm writing for the Bird Trails website...What is the rarest bird species in North Queensland? What do you think?
Another bird quiz question. Which Cape York endemic bird, nests in termite mounds and has a symbiotic relationship with a moth?
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