Cairns Highlands Birding
The Cairns Highlands are one of Australia’s key birding destinations, by visiting the wide range of different habitats to be found here it is possible to see all 12 Tropical North Queensland endemics plus a great selection of the birds and mammals of the Tropical North.
The forested slopes behind Cairns rise up onto a dissected plateau, which slopes upwards towards the south where Mt Bellenden Kerr, at 1493 metres, is the highest point in Queensland.
The area starts as you head inland across the Kuranda Range, and covers the Atherton/Yungaburra and Ravenshoe areas to the south and extends northwards to the Mt Lewis massif. The Crater Lakes (Eacham and Barrine) are good for Chowchilla, Grey-headed Robin, Tooth-billed Bowerbird and Pied Monarch, whilst the Crater/Mt. Hypipamee NP and Mt. Lewis at the northern end are a centre for the high altitude species like Bridled Honeyeater, Mountain Thornbill, Atherton Scrubwren, Fernwren and Golden Bowerbird and the 12 endemics.
Besides the high altitude forests there are both wet and dry sclerophyll eucalyptus forests which hold dry country species such as Pale-headed Rosella, Red-winged Parrot, Brown Tree-creeper and Great Bowerbird.
Wetland areas such as Mareeba Wetlands (open April to January) hold waterfowl, Brolga and Sarus Cranes (winter), Squatter Pigeon and Black-throated Finch, and reserves such as Hastie’s Swamp NP near Atherton are always worth a look with large numbers of ducks and Magpie Geese when the water levels are right. Kingfisher Park at Julatten is an easy place to see Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher from November to April, and they often have Papuan Frogmouth and Noisy Pitta in the area.
The Kuranda area, particularly Black Mountain Road, is good for Victoria’s Riflebird, and the far north specials such as Southern Cassowary, Spotted Catbird, Red-necked Crake and Lovely Fairywren, with Cassowary House along Black Mountain Road one of the best places to see Southern Cassowary. A combination of birding and sight-seeing is easily done, with the Kuranda SkyRail one of the major tourist attractions of the Tropical North, with its sensational views over and into the rainforest.
Places to Stay
Cairns Highlands offers a range of birding-friendly accommodation. Click the 'Accommodation' tab for listings and links.
Local Bird Tours
Fine Feather Tours of Mossman offer broad-based birding covering all habitats from Daintree River to higher mountain rainforest and venturing to dry savannah woodlands. Del caters for all levels of interest, some guests returning six times or more.
Alan's Wildlife Tours your Naturalist and Guide is Alan Gillanders, specialising in tree-kangaroos, birds and nocturnal mammals on the beautiful Cairns Highlands, North Queensland, Australia. Local Bird Guides
Birding Naturally. Based at Jabiru Safari Lodge at Mareeba Wetlands, David 'Chook' Crawford guides an "Early Birders" tour and private guiding at the Wetlands Reserve and ventures further afield with small groups to Cape York and around Tropical North Queensland.
Sicklebill Safaris. Phil and Sue Gregory offer expert local guiding, day tours or longer, we know where to find those special birds and mammals too!
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Address:
Kennedy Highway, 8km
south of Atherton.
Consists
of a remnant of endangered mabi forest (type of rainforest) with two botanical
walking tracks. Endemics include Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Chowchilla, Bower’s Shrike-thrush, Victoria’s
Riflebird and Grey-headed Robin. Other species include Emerald Dove, Wompoo and
Superb Fruit-Dove, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Rufous Owl, White-throated Treecreeper,
Spotted Catbird, Brown Gerygone and Yellow-breasted Boatbill.
Address:
Approximately
4km from Mount Molloy along Highway 44 (Rex Highway) towards
Mossman.
A
bird hide overlooks the swamp. The woodland area around the car park is often
productive (look for Northern Fantail here) and when the paperbark trees are
flowering large numbers of lorikeets and at least 14 species of honeyeater are
attracted to the area. Possible White-browed and Spotless Crake.
Address:
Mt. Lewis Road,
Julatten.
Drive
10km from the bottom of Mt.Lewis to the best birding area where all 12 “Wet
Tropic” endemic species are found - Fernwren, Atherton Scrubwren, Mountain
Thornbill, Macleay’s and Bridled Honeyeater, Grey-headed Robin, Chowchilla,
Bower’s Shrike-thrush, Pied Monarch, Victoria’s Riflebird, Tooth-billed and
Golden Bowerbird, plus Blue-faced Parrot Finch (November-April).
Address;
Approx
20km North-West of Mareeba on the Mulligan
Highway (Peninsula
Development Road).
Park
on south-eastern edge of Big
Mitchell Creek
which has White-browed Robin along the edge – either west or east of highway.
Don’t stray far from highway as you will enter private property. Look for
Laughing and Blue-winged Kookaburra,
Pale-headed Rosella, Fairy and White-throated Gerygone, Northern Fantail
and Lemon-bellied Flycatcher.
Address:
Approx
22.5km North-West of Mareeba on the Mulligan
Highway (Peninsula
Development Road).
Extensive
wetland, viewed from causeway, attracts many waterbirds such as – Black Swan, Rajah
Shelduck, Black-necked Stork, Pied Heron, Glossy ibis and Painted Snipe (rare).
Raptors recorded include Eastern Osprey, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Brown
Goshawk, Spotted Harrier, Swamp Harrier, Wedge-tailed Eagle and Brown Falcon.
Surrounding woodland has Red-backed fairy-wren, Grey-crowned Babbler,
Apostlebird.
Address:
Mulligan
Highway (Peninsula Development
Road) approx. 21km north-west of Mount Molloy.
East
and West Maryfarms Roads provide a reliable location for Australian Bustard,
other species recorded include, Squatter Pigeon, Brown Goshawk, Nankeen
Kestrel, Red-tailed Black- Cockatoo, Galah, Red-winged Parrot, Pale-headed
Rosella, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Red-backed Kingfisher, Red-backed Fairy-wren and
Noisy Friarbird.
Address:
33km
along Palmerston Highway
from Innisfail.
Access
area to walking tracks through low-mid level tropical rainforest (300-600m).
Rainforest species recorded include Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Double-eyed Fig
Parrot, Australian King Parrot, Sooty Owl, Macleay’s Honeyeater, Chowchilla,
Yellow-breasted Boatbill and Black Butcherbird.
Address: Mulligan Highway (Township).
Is good for Red-winged Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Great Bowerbird which are common, Blue-faced Honeyeater and Double-barred Finch. Other species in area include Square-tailed Kite and Little Eagle. Rifle Creek rest area 1km north of the town has riparian vegetation with possible Fairy Gerygone and Lovely Fairy-wren.
Address:
Tully
Falls Road, Ravenshoe.
Tully Falls Road traverses rainforest and wet sclerophyll
forests before reaching Koomboolomba Dam 34km south of Ravenshoe. Endemics species present include
Tooth-billed and Golden Bowerbird, Fernwren, Mountain Thornbill, Bridled Honeyeater,
Chowchilla, Bower’s Shrike-thrush,
Victoria’s Riflebird, and
Grey-headed Robin. Other species include Grey Goshawk, White-throated
Treecreeper, White-naped Honeyeater and Eastern Whipbird.
Address:Pinnacle Road, Julatten.
Walking track through rainforest, which can turn up some of the more difficult to see rainforest species. Has an isolated population of Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo resident. Other species include Wompoo and Superb Fruit-Dove, Noisy Pitta,Spotted Catbird, Yellow-breasted Boatbill and Victoria's Riflebird.
Open potato and maize fields, after harvesting good
for Sarus Crane, Brolga, Spotted Harrier, Brown Falcon, sometimes Australian
Bustard and unusual local birds like Australian Pratincole. Barn Owl and Grass
Owl at night.
Popular but
spectacular, in fine Mabi rainforest and a great spot for Wompoo Fruit Dove,
Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Bower’s Shrike-thrush, Grey-headed Robin, Brown Gerygone,
Large-billed Scrubwren, Pied, Spectacled and Black-faced Monarchs,
White-throated Tree-creeper, Golden Whistler and Eastern Whipbird. All local
Cuckoos.
One of the best places to see the high altitude
specials. Grey-headed Robin and Bridled Honeyeater frequent the picnic site,
Mountain Thornbill and Atherton Scrubwren haunt the approach road, Fernwren
skulks in the gullies and Tooth-bulled Bowerbird, Spotted Catbird and Golden
Bowerbird may with luck be found at fruiting trees.
All the high altitude birds may be found here,
but the track is overgrown and Golden Bowerbird not as easy as it used to be as
the main bower is abandoned. Chowchilla is a good bet along the track and Blue-faced
Parrot-Finch, White-cheeked Honeyeater and Eastern
Spinebill can be seen in summer if conditions are right.
The bushy creek that runs along the back of the
area is a great spot for honeyeaters, with White-naped, Scarlet, Banded and
White-cheeked all possible, as well as Spotted Pardalote and White-browed
Scrubwren. Little Lorikeets feed in flowering Eucalypts.
Brown and King Quail along roadside. One of the best
places for Chowchilla at dawn. Topknot and White-headed Pigeon, Superb and
Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Bowers Shrike-thrush and Monarch Flycatchers in
forest. Red-backed Fairy-wren, Tawny Grassbird, Golden Headed Cisticola in
paddocks opposite car park. Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and Barred Cuckoo-shrikes
in fruiting trees
From May to November this is a major roost for Sarus
Cranes and Brolga. A sunset or early morning visit provides wonderful views of
the birds flying in or walking to the crater rim to take off. Other waterbirds
can be viewed through a telescope. Good site for raptors and quail.
A well maintained track follows the creek through a
variety of habitats. Eastern, Pale Yellow and Grey-headed Robins. Grey, Rufous
and Bower’s Shrike-thrushes. Many species of honeyeaters. Platypus and
Tree-Kangaroos a bonus.
This road traverses a range of forest types and is
very scenic in places. Where the understorey is complex look for Australian
Fernwren. All 12 local endemics occur in the first half of this drive.
Address: Pickford Road, Biboohra, 4870.
The wetlands and surrounding 5000 acres of tropical savanna woodland reserve is home to 226 species, including both bushbirds and waterbirds. It is the evening roost to over 400-500 cranes with black throated finches, Squatter Pigeons, the Black-backed form of the Brown Treecreeper and occasional sightings of the Gouldian finch. Open 9-4.30 April to January.
Address: Black Mountain Road, 4871.
The newly designated Kuranda National Park is accessed along this road, which is one of the great tropical birding sites, with many of the rainforest specialities here- it is an important breeding area for Cassowary, and other notable birds include Red-neked crake, Superb Fruit Dove, Wompoo fruit Dove, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher in the wet, Victoria's Riflebird, Pied, Spectacled and White-eared monarch, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Chowchilla and Spotted Catbird.
This popular picnic spot is both scenic and worth a visit by birdwatchers for riparian forest and dry country birds. For the more active and fit birder there is an strenuous hike up to Kahlpalim Rock which offers extensive views across the local area and which passes through some excellent mixed eucalyptus forest. The highlight of this hike for many would be the bowers of the Golden Bowerbird which can be seen right alongside the track towards the summit.
Address: Kaban Road.
Drive various roads in the district through dry sclerophyll forest and forestry plantations which provide habitat for dry country species such as Common Bronzewing, Painted Button-quail, Brown Treecreeper, Yellow Thornbill, Red-browed Pardalote, northern form of Fuscous Honeyeater, Varied Sittella, Crested Shrike-tit, Grey Shrike-thrush and Eastern Yellow Robin.
The highly scenic Crater Lakes National Park holds some good local birds including Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Victoria’s Riflebird, Eastern Whipbird, Grey-headed Robin, Golden Whistler and White-throated Tree-creeper.Great-crested Grebe, Chowchilla, White-eared Monarch, Fernwren and Yellow-breasted Boatbill best at Barrine. At Eacham look for Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and Barred Cuckoo-shrikes in car park trees.
Address: Foster Road, Kairi.
20ha of revegetated woodland, rainforest and grasses on the shores of Lake Tinaroo
with 193 species recorded. Sarus Crane roost may roost here (June-October).
Other notable species include both Cotton and Green Pygmy-goose, Superb
Fruit-Dove, Tawny Frogmouth, Black-necked Stork, Ballion’s and White-browed
Crake, Red-backed and Red-chested Button-quail and Little Grassbird.
A small wetland National park just outside Atherton, good for Magpie Goose and Plumed Whistling-Duck in the winter months. Purple Swamphens, Buff-banded Rail are easily seen, other Crakes possible. Swamp and Spotted Harrier, White-bellied Sea-Eagles and Kites. Shorebirds good if the mud exposed, Latham’s Snipe is regular.
Located in Crater Lakes National Park.
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