Townsville Region

Lake Barrine provides a walking track of 5km around the perimeter of the lake and a shorter circuit of 80m. Excellent habitat for many species of rainforest and water birds. Tour operators offer cruises on the lake and there is a cafe and gift shop.

Minutes from the center of Cairns City a boardwalk runs the length of the Esplanade with viewing platforms overlooking the foreshore. This offers easy close-up viewing of many migratory waders (shorebirds), egrets, gulls and terns, unsurpassed anywhere in the world. Main season for migratory waders is August-April with fewer species at other times of the year but still very rewarding.

Fresh and saltwater lakes with adjacent lowland swamp forest and Melaleuca wetlands provide varied habitat for many species. A boardwalk traverses the swamp forest where Red-necked Crake and Black Butcherbird live. The lakes attract ducks, heron, spoonbills, and Magpie Goose with White-browed Crake, Pale-vented Bush-hen and Little Kingfisher possible.

The gardens are adjacent to Mt. Whitfield Conservation Park where the Red (1.5km) and Blue Arrow  (6.6km) walking tracks accend the Whitfield Range through rainforest and eucalypt woodland. Orange-footed Scrubfowl and Noisy Pitta are in the rainforest and the edges of the woodland it is possible to find Lovely Fairy-wren.

Address: The Esplanade , Etty Bay.
Small picnic area with camping and caravan park on beach where Southern Cassowary is regularly found, often on the beach. Beach Stone-curlew is also found on the beach.

Address:Cartwright Road,Miriwinni.
One of the most important wetlands betweenIngham and Cooktown is home to waterbirds, grassbirds and forest dwellers.Black-necked Stork, egret, herons and ibis feedin the swamplands. Finches including Crimson Finch forage in the grasslands.Rainforest species occur along the AliceRiver and Channel-billedCuckoo visit August-March.

Address: Goldsborough Valley Forestry Road.
Lowland rainforest along Mulgrave River attracts Azure Kingfisher, Yellow-spotted and Graceful Honeyeater, Yellow Oriole, Shining Flycatcher and Yellow-breasted Boatbill. Seasonally fruiting figs attract large numbers of  Wompoo Fruit-Dove and Double-eyed Fig-Parrot. Kearneys Falls track (1·6km return) traverses rainforest and is a good lowland site for Victoria’s Riflebird. National Park campground.

Address: Lacey Creek day-use area is beside the El Arish-Mission Beach road, 8km from the junction with the Bruce Highway and 7.5km from Mission Beach town.
Diverse rainforest and beach habitat just south of Mission Beach make this one of the more idyllic National Parks to look for birds with cassowary and beach stone-curlew two of the most wanted species for many birding visitors. Several short and long walks allow visitors to explore the lowland rainforest in Tam O’Shanter National Park. Focal bird species: Southern Cassowary, Beach Stone-Curlew.

Address: 1.6km off Tully to Mission Beach Road, approx. 8km from Mission Beach.
Fan Palm walk (1.3km circuit) good chance to see Southern Cassowary, Rose-crowned and Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Chowchilla and Yellow-breasted Boatbill. Link walk to Lacey Creek through lowland rainforest (approx 9kms).

Address: Lake Morris Road, 16kms from Brinsmead-Reservoir Road junction, Cairns.
Habitats include rainforest, woodland, grassland and wetland attracting a good variety of birds. The rainforest area across the dam attracts Southern Cassowary, Noisy Pitta and Victoria’s Riflebird. Dam edges attact cuckoos, 5 species of Kingfisher, Barred Cuckoo-shrike, White-eared Monarch and finches including Crimson Finch. Many waterbirds on the lake.

Address: Airport Avenue, Aeroglen, Cairns.
Two boardwalks within the mangroves take you northwards to Middle Creek on a 700m loop and southwards 600m to Swampy Creek. These allow easy access to mangrove species such as Collared Kingfisher, Black Butcherbird, Shining Flycatcher and Mangrove Robin, also good chance of Lovely Fairy-wren. Bring insect repellant.

Address: 40km North-East of Cairns on Great Barrier Reef.
Important seabird breeding site for Common Noddy, Sooty Tern, Lesser Crested Tern and Crested Tern. Other species recorded here include: Lesser and Greater Frigatebird, Masked, Red-footed and Brown Booby, Eastern Reef Egret,  Ruddy Turnstone, Bridled, Little,  Roseate and Black-naped Terns plus Silver Gull. Access with commercial tour companies.

Address: Marshall and Cinderella Streets, Machins Beach, Cairns.
Contains a high diversity of habitats in a small area attracting a good species range including Superb and Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, seven cuckoo, seven kingfisher and 10 honeyeater species.  The Barron River mouth has recorded 28 shorebird and tern species including Beach Stone-curlew. Look for Great-billed Heron in Redden Creek.

Address: Wattle Street, Yorkey’s Knob, Cairns.
Small lagoon alongside road which affords good close up views of waterbirds including: Green Pygmy-goose, Wadering and Plumed Whistling-Duck, breeding Australasian Darter and Little Black Cormorant. Other species recorded incude Black Bittern, Little and Azure Kingfisher plus Crimson Finch.

Address: 27km offshore from Cairns on Great Barrier Reef.
12ha coral cay close to Cairns with at least 35 species of seabirds and 28 species of forest birds recorded. These include Emerald Dove, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Pied Imperial Pigeon (August-March), Grey and white morph Eastern Reef Egret, Eastern Osprey, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Wandering Tattler (rare), Buff-banded Rail and ocassionally Beach Stone-curlew.

Address: Captain Cook Highway, 8km south of junction with Port Douglas intersection.
Extensive sandflats with a fringing reef which is exposed at low tide. Many migratory shorebirds to be found here including Sanderling which is uncommon in the area. Possible Beach Stone-curlew and Little Tern. Opposite side of highway an old mining track leads into a good birding area within open woodland.

13km of walking tracks through rainforest to Mt. Kootaloo where Noisy Pitta, Wompoo and Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove are often found. Little Kingfisher, Varied Honeyeater and Shining Flycatcher have been recorded in mangroves. Along the beach look for Beach Stone-curlew, Bridled, Roseate, Black-naped and Lesser-crested Terns. A winter visitor is White-eared Monarch.

Address: James and Little Streets, Cairns.
The best site in the Wet Tropics to see Bush Stone-curlew up close. Over 50 individuals have been recorded at one time.

Address: Gorge Road, Mossman.
Dense lowland rainforest with 2.7km loop walking track. Use this track to avoid large numbers of people. Rainforest species include Emerald Dove, Wompoo and Superb Fruit-Dove, Papuan Frogmouth, Red-necked Crake, Australian King-Parrot, Noisy Pitta, Spotted Catbird, Fernwren, Macleay’s Honeyeater, Grey Whistler, Pied Monarch, Yellow-breasted Boatbill and Metallic Starling (August-March).

A nature Conservation park which was opened in late 2009. Originally a sugarcane farm, the site was used as a sand mining quarry  resulting is several fresh and saltwater man-made lakes. The Cairns City Council has planted over 10,000 native plants and undertaken extensive weed removal enabling existing water bird populations to flourish. There are a number of boardwalks, walking tracks, bird hides and viewing platforms, picnic areas, interpretive signs, car park, access road and toilet facilities. In addition to the amazing wetland habitat, Cattana Wetlands also harbours an impressive range of North Queensland wildlife and significant plant communities including a Feather Palm Forest, which is a remnant of a once extensive forest type that is now confined to only a few remnant patches in the Cairns region. Accessed by either Yorkeys Knob Road or McGregor Road, Smithfield.