Coastal Bird Watching
The coast zone of tropical north Queensland extends approximately some 450 km from Cooktown to Townsville, and is the relatively narrow coastal strip between the highly scenic forested slopes of the Great Dividing Range and the sea.
Mangrove sites are quite well represented with one mangrove boardwalk right by Cairns Airport, mangrove fringed creeks and rivers such as those at the Barron and Mossman Rivers, plus sandy beaches, rocky promontories and dry eucalypt woodlands. Sugarcane is a dominant crop here and a few birds may be found in such habitats. It is overall an area of outstanding natural beauty with plenty of quiet places to go birding.
Centenary Park in Cairns is well worth a quick stop, with its freshwater and saltwater lakes and easy trail through the monsoon forest. Easy access to the world famous Great Barrier Reef is also readily organized through operators in all the main urban centres. Visit the Southern Bird Watching Area page for more information about the southern coastal area surrounding Townsville.
Places to Stay
The coast offers a range of birding-friendly accommodation. Click the 'Accommodation' tab for listings and links, or visit the official Cairns and Great Barrier Reef website. Local Bird Tours
Crocodile Explorer - Wilderness Cruise and Crocodile Farm. Discover the secrets of Trinity Inlet, a unique and special mangrove-lined waterway on the MV Habitat and see a rich and diverse array of wildlife including crocodiles, fish and native water birds.
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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).
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