Townsville Region
With more than 400 recorded bird species waiting to be found, the Townsville North Queensland region provides bird watchers access to a diverse array of habitats within easy driving distance from the main metropolitan area of Townsville City.
From the pristine wetlands of the Burdekin and Hinchinbrook region’s, to the world heritage-listed rainforests of Paluma, and the open woodlands and Brigalow (Acacia) forests of the Outback, this tropical region is alive with of some of the world’s most impressive birdlife.
Townsville, its northern beaches and Magnetic Island have a variety of vegetation types from tidal estuaries fringed with mangroves to grasslands and swamps, woodlands and vine thickets. The Townsville Town Common is one of the best known birding sites in North Queensland, with several hides located beside the wetlands and grasslands, making it a must-do for bird watchers when in region.
About 60 kilometres north of Townsville (40km south of Ingham), the historic Mt Spec Road leaves the Bruce Highway and winds up the beautiful mountains of the Paluma Range, to the township of Paluma. Walking trails around the town and lake, allow bird watchers to explore the depths of World Heritage-listed rainforest for potential sightings of Golden Bowerbird, Tooth-billed Bowerbird and Victoria’s Riflebird.
Driving west from Paluma; on-route to Hidden Valley, the vegetation gradually changes replacing rainforest with magnificent eucalypts woodlands. These woodlands support an array of woodland bird species, including the vibrant Scarlet Honeyeater, Glossy Black Cockatoo and Square-tailed Kite.
Located in Ingham, the internationally famous Tyto Wetlands features lagoons, interpretive signs, hides and lookouts where bird watchers can appreciate over 230 different bird species as well as a plethora of other native wildlife and flora. The Wetland’s are well known for their resident Grass Owl’s (Tyto Capensis), from which the Wetlands derives its name.
Travelling south from Townsville takes you to the wetlands of the Burdekin. This area has some of the most significant and expansive wetland complexities on the east coast of Australia comprising of shallow marine waters, through to areas of intertidal mangrove swamps, to freshwater lakes and swamps.
Located approximately 135 kilometres west of Townsville, Charters Towers is a genuine Outback town. Surrounded by open savannah woodlands, Brigalow forests, grasslands and ephemeral lakes, bird watching around Charters Towers provides birders with a unique opportunity for sighting many of Australia’s endemic open country bird species all within a short drive from the east coast.
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Address: 51km south-west of Ingham. Turn-off the Bruce Highway in Ingham and follow the tourism signs through Trebonne to Wallaman Falls.
High altitude rainforest and tall eucalypt forest with spectacular scenery. Apart from having the highest single drop waterfall in the country, Wallaman Falls also has one of the highest densities of cassowaries. The rainforest is sufficiently high to support most of the wet tropics endemics, such as the Bridled Honeyeater, while Red Goshawks can regularly be seen from the road up the plateau. Not far from the falls rainforest gives way to wet sclerophyll, greatly increasing the number of bird species that can be seen there. Focal bird spp: Southern Cassowary, Bridled Honeyeater, Red Goshawk.
Address: 6km north of Townsville City centre. The park entrance is reached by turning inland off Cape Pallarenda Road near the Rowes Bay Golf Club. The gates it open from 6.30am to 6.30pm daily. There is an information shelter at the entrance of the park.
The Townsville Town Common, or the ‘Common’ as it is known locally, is one of the best known birding sites in North Queensland. It encompasses a variety of vegetation types from tidal estuaries fringed with mangroves to grasslands and swamps, woodlands and vine thickets. Up to 280 species of birds have been recorded in the area. Several hides are positioned beside the wetland system allowing up close-up viewing opportunities of the large flocks of waterbird that congregate during the wet season. Focal bird species: Magpie Geese, Australian Bustard, Pheasant Coucal.
Address: Travelling South along Nathan Street (Bruce Highway) from Stocklands Shopping Centre, cross the Ross River. The entrance is located 300m on the left fater the bridge.
Mature botanic garden linked to walks along Ross River. Manicured gardens and old rain trees provide a variety of habitats on the edge of Ross River weir the banks of which are well endowed with walking tracks. White-browed Robin and Barking Owl shelter in the denser vegetation and, in summer, Oriental Cuckoos slip surreptitiously between clumps of vegetation. Focal bird spp: White-browed Robin, Oriental Cuckoo, Barking Owl.
Address: Ross River Road, Townsville QLD.
Lake Ross stores over 200,000 million litres of water and supplies up to 80 per cent of the region's potable water supply. The dam wall stretches 8.3 kilometres across the Ross River floodplain (longest in the Southern Hemisphere) providing an additional flood mitigation benefit to the downstream community. In recognition of its habitat values, Lake Ross is listed as a Wetland of National Significance. The extensive shallow margins of the lake provide habitat for a diversity of water birds. The lake is also surrounded by thousands of hectares of unspoilt open savannah teeming with wildlife. Over 220 species of bird have been recorded on or around the lake to date. A telescope is needed to get a full appreciation of the waterbird abundance. Focal bird species: Cotton Pygmy-Goose, Little Black Cormorant.
Address: 25-minute ferry ride from Townsville.
Magnetic Island is a continental island located 8 km’s north east of Townsville. Formally part of the mainland coastal hills, the island is particularly noted for its unique landscape of massive granite boulders, Hoop pines, pristine beaches and fringing coral reefs. Just over half of the Island is protected by national Park, and over 180 species of birds have been observed throughout its varied habitats of open eucalypt forests, rainforest, mangrove forests and salt-marches. Ideal birding locations on the Island include the Forts walk, Arcadia Bay, the Nelly Bay Habitat reserve and Horseshoe Bay Lagoon. Focal bird species: Osprey, Bush Stone-curlew, Helmeted Friarbird, Sandpipers and dotterels.
Address: Approximately 60 kilometres north of Townsville (40km south of Ingham), clearly sign posted. Turn west onto the Mount Spec Road.
Considered one of the best places to encounter birds in the region. Paluma is a mountaintop village set amongst the Wet Tropics World Heritage rainforest. The birding experience is enhanced by several walking trails located within close proximity to the village. Two teahouses in the village regularly provide food for birds like the Victoria's Riflebird and Macleay's Honeyeater, providing easy access to birds that can be very difficult to see in the forest. Camping is available at Lake Paluma west of the village, while self-contained cottages, motel and B&B accommodation is available in the village itself. Focal bird species: Victoria's Riflebird, Macleay's Honeyeater, Chowchilla, Noisy Pitta.
Address: Approx 15 kilometre from Paluma, along Paluma Dam Road.
Lake Paluma is a water impoundment on the western edge of the Wet Tropics upland rainforest with an established campground on its shore. The campsite and picnic ground near this Lake and the nearby walking trails; such as Birthday Creek Falls, provide easy access to many rainforest birds. The opening in the canopy surrounding the Lake allows easy viewing of species like Topknot Pigeon and Barred Cuckoo-shrike, which can otherwise be hard to see. A male Golden Bowerbird not far from the track to Birthday Creek Falls has developed a remarkable resilience to visits by people to his multi-towered bower of sticks and lichen and will regularly attend while being observed. Focal bird species: Golden Bowerbird, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Topknot Pigeon, Crimson Rosella.
Address: Hidden Valley is located approximately 25km west of Paluma along Hidden Valley Road.
Tall woodland of blue gums and other eucalypts with some denser vegetation along the creeks. Tucked away at the back of the Great Dividing Range, Hidden Valley is a great site for birding in combination with the diverse rainforest sites to the east. With a 24 km drive, the southern end of the Wet Tropics Rainforest quickly gives way to the impressive Flooded Gum forests (eucalyptus grandis) then as you descend in altitude to dry open woodland an amazing annual rainfall variance of over 2 meters sees you in thick Blue Gum woodland. With these changes some 136 species have been recorded in the Hidden Valley area including the rarely seen Large-tailed Nightjar and White-throated Nightjar. This is one of a number of areas where Square-tailed Kites are regularly encountered. Local Bird spp: Scarlet Honeyeater, Square-tailed Kite, Glossy Black Cockatoo, Crested Shrike-tit, Spotted Pardalote, Little Lorikeet and Eastern Yellow Robin.
Address: Located along the Bruce Highway 24km south of Ingham, or 91km north of Townsville, along Jourama Road.
A rainforest picnic area and National Park base. The lower skirts of the rainforest that lead up to Paluma have a diverse range of rainforest species and this is one of several places where species like the Yellow-breasted Boatbill and Yellow-spotted Honeyeater can be seen with relative ease. Focal Bird species: Rufous Owl, Noisy Pitta, Yellow-spotted Honeyeater, Yellow-breasted Boatbill.
Address: 62 Townsville Road, Bruce Highway, Ingham.
Tyto is a 90 hectare wetland site located in close proximity to the township of Ingham. The wetland integrates lagoons, interpretive signs, lookouts and hides. The extensive walking tracks throughout the wetlands allow visitors the unique opportunity to view wildlife closely without interference or disturbance to wildlife and their habitats. The name of the wetland comes from the endangered eastern Grass Owl (Tyto Capensis). There is even a specially erected dead tree in which an owl immediately took up residence. The reeds support Little Bittern, one of the few places in Australia where they are likely to be encountered regularly, while Grass Owls quarter the evening grasslands and Crimson Finch nest in groves of pandanus. Focal bird spp: Little Bittern, Crimson Finch, Eastern Grass Owl.
Address: Travel north to Ingham and take the Trebonne road west from Ingham. The route is 45km and is well signposted and sealed for much of the way.
This State Forest provides birders with a particularly favourable mix of woodland, rainforest and open picnic ground that makes many of the forest species highly accessible. Yellow Orioles fill the air with their chiming and Pied Monarch, sometimes one of the more elusive Wet Tropics endemics, are pleasantly common here. Focal bird species: Pied Monarch, Yellow Oriole.
Address: Approximately 55kms south of Townsville, turn-off the Bruce Highway onto Hodel Road, the Lagoon is approximately 2km’s along.
The most accessible of several lagoons in the northern part of the Burdekin River delta,
Horseshoe Lagoon has permanent deep water with grass at the edges leading into cane fields.
A group of Leichhardt trees shade a small peninsula that provides an excellent view of the waterfowl
and other birds. Although surrounded by sugarcane the lagoon edges do support a range of small
waterfowl with diving ducks and cormorants in the deeper water at the centre. Focal bird’s species: Magpie Goose, Black Swan, Cotton Pygmy-Goose, White-browed Crake.
Address: Approx. 40km south of Townsville, along Cromarty Siding Road.
This locally well-known birding road winds its way through a mixed landscape of open agricultural grassland, ephemeral and permanent wetlands, riparian forest and tropical savannah woodland. Acknowledged as the ‘heart’ of the Bowling Green Bay Ramsar-listed Wetlands, the Cromarty Siding road boarders this internationally renowned wetland system. Travelling the road provides a tantalising glimpse of the wetlands that are renowned as a migratory wader habitat; important breeding habitat for waterfowl and waterbird populations. Woodland and rainforest creeks increase the diversity of this short detour. Focal bird species: Brolga, Black Swan, Magpie Goose, Crimson Finch, Pratincole.
Address: Turn off the Bruce Highway 28 kilometres south of Townsville or 59 kilometres north of Ayr. Drive 6 kilometres to the park. Watch for wildlife between dusk and dawn.
The walk from the car park at this national park site can yield a surprising range of woodland species. It is worth looking closely at the mouths of tree hollows as this site is known for owlet-nightjars. Scarlet Honeyeaters are among the many smaller birds common in the woodland here and there is also a healthy fringe of rainforest beside the creek running down from Mt Elliot. Focal bird spp: Australian Owlet-Nightjar, Large-billed Gerygone, Scarlet Honeyeater, Whitebrowed Robin.
Address: Approximately 30km south of Townsville along the Bruce highway, turn east onto Cape Cleveland Road, follow for approximately 4km’s, then turn onto Carty Road and follow to the township of Cungulla.
Cungulla Bay offers access to the otherwise ‘difficult-to-get-to’ coastal mud flats, dune scrub and of mangroves of Bowling Green Bay. The Bowling Green Bay National Park has international significance for its migratory waders and a fair proportion these species can be observed feeding on the sand mud flats at the northern end of Cungalla; moving slowly onto the sand bars as the tide rises. Sanderling and Whimbrel are just two of the many species that can be seen at this site on the right tide and at the right time of year. Focal Bird species: Whimbrel, Terek Sandpiper, Grey Plover.
Address: Southern end of Cardwell township, off Bruse Highway.
The southern end of the Cardwell esplanade provider’s birders with access to the mangrove and coastal vine forests that are located adjacent to the northern end of Hinchinbrook Island. The walking track located between the old Cardwell township site and Port Hinchinbrook yields a surprising range of bird species including two mangrove specialties, the Mangrove Robin and Varied Honeyeater. There is often a camp of flying foxes near the path and a scattering of waders on the mud at low tide. Focal bird species: Mangrove Robin, Varied Honeyeater.
Address: Access from Cardwell along the Esplanade, or from the North of Cardwell off the Bruce highway, along Clift Road.
Meunga Creek Mouth is located alone the beach and tidal mud flats north along the coast from Cardwell esplanade, and is the first creek to meet the sea north of Cardwell. It offers a mix of beach and mangrove habitats that are well-known for supporting a pair of one of Beach Stone Curlew’s, as well as the largest of the fish-catching kingfishers, the Collared or Mangrove Kingfisher. A range of other waders and mangrove birds are also likely to be present at the creek mouth. Focal bird’s species: Beach Stone-curlew, Collared Kingfisher, Mangrove Robin.
Address: 41km’s north-west of Cardwell, just north of the township of Bilyana, turn off the Bruce Highway onto Bilyana Murray Upper Road and follow the signs.
Murray Falls State Forest is diverse rainforest habitat around campsite and creek. Bird watching is always that much more pleasant where surroundings are attractive, as at this forest park with its combination of waterfalls, rainforest, comfortable picnic area and evergreen mown grass. Many rainforest species are more visible along the canopy's edge, and it is well worth while spending time birding around the open camping ground. Focal bird species: Pied Monarch, Northern Fantail, Grey Whistler & White-eared Monarch.
Address: Travel along the Bruce Highway to Cardwell and turn off into Braesnose Street. Follow the road over the railway crossing and then travel straight ahead. When the bitumen runs into gravel, just follow the signs.
Pine plantations interspersed with rainforest-lined creeks. The Cardwell Forest Drive was developed to showcase that plantation forestry and nature conservation can co-exist. The Drive provides access to some picturesque streamside rainforest where Azure and Little Kingfishers are both likely to be found. Fig-parrots are also frequently observed along the Drive, and evidence of their presence often identified by looking for sign of their nests excavated in rotten trees. Focal bird species: Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Azure Kingfisher, Little Kingfisher, Lovely Fairy-wren.
Address: Turn off the Bruce Highway 4km north of Cardwell and drive 1km along Clift Road to the park entrance. From here on the road is unsealed and often narrow and winding.
A winding gravel road takes you to through dune forest to the beach positioned next to extensive mudflats. In summer a range of wader species feed on the mud and sand offshore while a suite of rainforest species can be found in the dune scrub. At dusk and dawn from September to March large numbers of Pied Imperial-Pigeons travel to or from the major breeding colony on the Brook Islands just over the horizon to the east. Focal bird species: Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, Pied Imperial-Pigeon, Lovely Fairy-wren.
Address: The dirt road to Licuala State Forest Park is signposted, 9 kilometres along the road to Tully from Mission Beach. The walks start at a picnic area one kilometre up the dirt road. Ask at the Visitor Centre about the local bus service if you need it.
Licuala State Forest is a diverse rainforest and beach habitat just south of Mission Beach. Birds are often easier to hear than see in rainforest and two of the noisiest are the Chowchilla, usually an upland bird, and the Black Butcherbird, especially early in the morning. Cassowaries can also be seen at this rainforest site, or more commonly the piles of seed-filled dung along tracks and paths. Focal bird species: Southern Cassowary, Black Butcherbird.
Address: North-east of Charters Towers, approximately 13 km’s along Weir Road.
Large water body in dry woodland, although campground is watered and provides an oasis of green in the dry season. The weir that supplies Charters Towers' water also feeds a range of cormorants and other waterfowl such as ducks, pelicans and darters. At the picnic ground north of the weir car park the fringe of ti-tree and woodland also supports a range of smaller birds such as the Rufous-throated Honeyeater. Focal bird spp: Rufous-throated Honeyeater, Darter.
Address: Approx 80 kilometres south of Ravenswood, along Burdekin Falls Dam Road.
Large water body in dry woodland, although campground is watered and provides an oasis of green in the dry season. There are few places from which this enormous water impoundment is accessible, but it is at this site near the dam wall. The interesting birds for anyone from coastal regions are likely to be encountered during the trip to the dam, particularly such inland species as Spotted Bowerbird and Ground Cuckoo-shrike. Focal bird spp: Ground Cuckoo-shrike, Spotted Bowerbird.
Address: Approximately 40km’s south-west of Charters Towers along Flinders Highway. Access via township of Balfes Creek, along unsealed Braceborough Rd.
Large ephemeral lake. Not a tourist site but, after a good season, one of the most spectacular wetlands in the region, particularly from the western shore in a low afternoon light. Supports an extremely wide range of waterfowl, often in large numbers.
Address: North-west of Charters Towers. Travel north along Gregory Development Road and turn west onto Gainsford-Glencoe Road, on-route to the Great Basalt Wall N.P. and follow for approximately 58Km’s.
Large wetland in savannah woodland often supporting large numbers of waterbirds. The only accessible lake in the basalt walls region, this lake is spectacular when full with lots of duck and other waterfowl feeding among the water lilies at its edge, and equally good for birds when it is shallow because then the birds are more concentrated, though it needs a telescope to see them properly. Focal bird species: Black Swan, Pink-eared Duck.
Address: Approximately 80 km’s north of Charters Towers along the Gregory developmental Rd – turn west onto unsealed Hillgrove Niall Rd, and follow for approximately 30km.
Savannah woodland in pastoral country. Bluff Downs is a place where one can get away from the roadside bird watching that is all that is allowed in so many rural areas. The birds there are probably little different from anywhere across a large part of north-east Queensland but it is the access to nature that makes this site attractive. Focal bird spp: Red-winged Parrot, Apostle bird.
Address: North-west of Charters Towers along the Flinders Highway. At Pentland, turn north on to the unsealed Pentland Gregory Springs Road, and follow for approximately 70 km’s.
Perennial stream on the edge of grassland. The grasslands and running water of Lolworth provide relief during a drive that is largely flanked by continuous, if diverse, eucalypt woodland. The grasslands seem natural and support bustards and other open country species. The nearby woodland, however, includes White-winged Chough near the northern edge of their range and roaming flocks of sittellas. Focal bird spp: Varied Sittella, White-winged Chough.
Address: Follow Lava Plains-Mount Fox Rd, off the Gregory Development Road, approximately 45km’s south of the Lynd Junction.
Series of basalt sinkholes and extensive ephemeral wetlands beside the perennial reaches of the Burdekin River set in savannah woodland. Leichhardt wrote rapturously about the Valley of Lagoons when he passed through 170 years ago and it retains its beauty today. Much of it is in private hands, and sometimes the swamps are dry, but in a good year excellent views of the swamp with its Jacanas and Cotton Pygmy-Geese can be obtained from the road and there are lovely campsites beside the Burdekin River, here a deep clear fast-flowing stream. Focal bird spp: Cotton Pygmy-Goose, Comb-crested Jacana.
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