Birding Cairns and Far North Queensland
Tim Dolby
Don’t tell anyone, but on my first few trips to Cairns and Far North Queensland (FNQ), I birdwatched the area like a bird race, a Twitchathon if you like, to see as many species in a given period of time! This meant that I birdwatched continually from dawn to dusk and beyond, something that was incredibly rewarding but also tiring. Since then, I have visited Cairns more times than I can count, birding the greater Cairns region half a dozen times a year! This is part of my role as a professional bird guide. This report is basically a summary of the places I usually visit when doing a bird-guiding trip to FNQ. In general, it covers three main areas: 1. around Cairns; 2. Daintree, Julatten and northern Atherton Tablelands; and 3. southern Atherton Tablelands.
Few birdwatchers would question that the area around Cairns is Australia’s premier birding location. An amazing twelve species of bird are endemic to the Atherton Tablelands, Atherton Scrubwren, Fernwren, Mountain Thornbill, Chowchilla, Bower’s Shrike-thrush, Grey-headed Robin, Bridled and Macleay’s Honeyeater, Pied Monarch, Victoria’s Riflebird, and Tooth-billed and Golden Bowerbird. From a purely twitching viewpoint, most Australian birdwatchers, when they first visit the region, end up with around 100 new species. For visiting overseas birdwatchers, you will find nearly 300 new species! There are not many places in the world where you can do that! Using this trip report you should be able to see all the special birds around Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands! Good luck!
Note: while in Cairns, a fantastic thing to do is take a boat trip out to Michaelmas Cay, located on the Great Barrier Reef to do some seabird watching and snorkeling. I’ve written this up in a separate report for Michaelmas Cay. To find out more, simply follow this link.
1. Around Cairns
On my very first birding trip to Cairn (it seems like yesterday, but it’s many years ago now), as the plane touched down at Cairns Airport, I remember the first bird for the trip (seen from the plane window) being a White-breasted Woodswallow. This was a good bird for a Victorian birder, but here, in Cairns, it was one of the most conspicuous birds. For the record, also at the airport, there were Brown Honeyeater, Sahul (Olive-backed) Sunbird, Australasian Figbird, Rainbow Bee-eater, and Bar-shouldered and Peaceful Dove.
Cairns Esplanade
Usually, the first point of call when visiting Cairns (and sometimes the last, before flying out of Cairns) is a visit to the spectacular mudflats along the Cairns Esplanade. These mudflats can be teeming with waders! You usually see Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Common Greenshank, Sharp-tailed, Curlew and Marsh Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Pacific Golden Plover, Black-fronted Dotterel, Red-capped Plover, Terek Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Lesser (Siberian) and Greater Sand Plover, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwit, Red and Great Knot and Grey-tailed Tattler. Other birds seen here include Australian Pelican, Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Black-necked Stork, Striated Heron, Great, Intermediate (Plumed), Little and Eastern Reef Egret, Beach Stone-curlew, and terns such as Australian (Gull-billed), Little, Greater Crested and Caspian Tern and, less commonly, Lesser Crested, Gull-billed, Common and Black-naped Tern (amongst others). In terms of rarities, the Esplanade turns up more than its fair share of significant sightings. For instance, in 2009, I saw Laughing Gull, Asian Dowitcher, and Broad-billed Sandpiper (uncommon), while more recently, in 2023, I saw my first Nordmann’s Greenshank. Nice!
The Cairns Esplanade is probably the easiest place in Australia to find Varied Honeyeater. Indeed, you would be very hard-pressed to find an Australian birdwatcher who didn’t first see them on Cairns Esplanade. When flowing, they particularly like the Frangipani along the boardwalk. The Esplanade is also probably the best place to see the stunning Rose-crowed Fruit-Dove, frequenting the fig tree at the very northern end of the Esplanade. Listen for their distinctive whoo whoo whoo wup wup wup call. Other birds to look for include Brown, Yellow, Blue-faced, Brown-backed and Dusky Honeyeater, Spangled Drongo, Helmeted Friarbird, Torresian Imperial-Pigeon, Peaceful Dove, Masked Lapwing, Australasian Figbird, Olive-backed (Sahul) Sunbird, and Nutmeg Mannikin, and it’s not uncommon to see Australian Swiftlet, Metallic Starling Doubled-eyed Fig-Parrot and Rainbow Lorikeet flying up and down through the trees. Hunting raptors to look for include Osprey, Brahminy Kite and White-bellied Sea-Eagle.
At night, Spectacled Flying Fox are common, and you definitely hear and then see Bush Stone-curlew wondering up and down the grassy areas; they particularly like to hang around Muddy’s Cafe in the evening. Another bird to think about while birding the Esplanade is Nankeen Night-Heron; during the day, they roost in the larger figs at the southern end of the Esplanade.Any visit to the Esplanade usually involves birding around the mangroves at its northern end. It is worth trying to ‘whistle in’ Mangrove Robin by imitating their mournful whurr-whurr call. If you hear one, find a gap in the mangroves and peer in. Another bird here is the Torresian Kingfisher; they often hunt for crabs on the mudflats that border the mangroves, especially at low tide. Be careful with your observations though, Sacred Kingfisher also hunt for crabs here. (Note that the Torresian Kingfisher lacks the buffy, brownish tints found in the Sacred Kingfisher.) The mangroves are also a good place to listen for and listen to Shining Flycatcher. A word of caution about birding in the mangroves at the end of the Cairns Esplanade: it is a significant area for midges, a small sand fly with a particularly bad bite! The best thing to do (apart from not birding in the mangroves, especially if you’ve already seen the species mentioned above) is to wear clothing with long sleeves and trousers, and to use personal insect repellent! Good luck!
Cairns Botanical Gardens and Centenary Lakes
I remember on my very first birding trip to Cairns, I had received a report of a pair of Papuan Frogmouth roosting along the rainforest boardwalk on the way to Centenary Lakes. So, I headed to the south-side of the Gardens, parking on Greenslope Rd. As we stopped beside the gardens, we heard a collection of honeyeaters calling from flowering Callistamon and Grevillea across the road in Jess Mitchell Park. It was literally jammed full of honeyeaters! Within moments we had picked up Brown-backed, Dusky, Brown, Yellow, Cryptic Honeyeater, Yellow-spotted, Scarlet and White-throated Honeyeater. It’s not a bad way to start a bird trip. So, a good birding tip: if you want to see honeyeaters in Cairns, stop whenever you see flowering Callistamon and Grevillea!
Fortunately, with little trouble, I found the roosting Papuan Frogmouth along the rainforest boardwalk. It is worth noting that these days I’ve been seeing Papuan Frogmouth at another location at the Botanical Gardens: at the east end of Goodwin Street, looking in the trees on the south side of the road.
Around the Freshwater Lake, I’ve seen Little Kingfisher and Black Bittern on numerous occasions, and a family of Lovely Fairywren occur in the mangroves along Saltwater Creek (either side of the footbridge; look north and south for several hundred metres). Sahul Sunbird regularly nests near the Chinese Friendship Garden, while other birds you should see while visiting the gardens include Magpie Goose, Rudjah Shelduck, Bush Stone-curlew, Plumed and Great Egret, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Rainbow Bee-eater, Helmeted Friarbird, Large-billed Gerygone (look near the footbridge over Saltwater Creek), White-bellied Cuckooshrike, Varied Triller, Common Cicadabird (listen for them in the grassy area just west of the footbridge over Saltwater Creek), Green Oriole, Australian Figbird, Spangled Drongo, White-breasted Woodswallow, and fast-flying Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Australian Swiftlet, and Metallic Starling. A good spot for Black Butcherbird is in Flecker Botanic Gardens, looking around the visitor centre.
Machans Beach and Redden Island
Machans Beach and Redden Island are 10 km north of Cairns. It’s an excellent place for estuary and sandflat birds, with some nice bordering woodlands. To access the estuary park next to the Barron River at the end of Cinderella St. From there, walk east to the mouth of the river. I’ve seen large number of shorebirds here feeding on the sand flats. Birds seen here are Whimbrel, Eastern Curlew, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwit, Great and Red Knot, Curlew, Sharp-tailed, Terek and Common Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Grey-tailed Tattler, Red-capped, Pacific Golden and Grey Plover, Lesser and Greater Sand Plover, and Australian Pied Oystercatcher, while terns included Little, Australian Gull-billed, Caspian, Crested and Lesser Crested Tern. Several times along the banks of the Barron River I’ve seen Great-billed Heron, and a couple of times I’ve seen Beach Stone-curlew roosting on the sandbars near the river mouth, particularly on the southern side. Along the river, I’ve seen Torresian Kingfisher, and there are usually a few raptors such as Osprey, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Brahminy, and Whistling and Black Kite.
To birdwatch the woodland area, park at the carpark at the end of Marshall St. (it’s located just after Marshall Bridge). Along the walk through the woodlands, I’ve seen Red-tailed Black-cockatoo, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Spangled Drongo, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Black Butcherbird, Pheasant Coucal, Varied Triller, Common Cicadabird, Rufous Fantail, Little Bronze-Cuckoo, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Pacific Koel, and Dollarbird, while a highlight was seeing a family of Lovely Fairy-wren just after the start of the walk. Not bad!
It’s worth noting that a good way to birdwatch Redden Island and Machans Beach is to park at Marshall St., walk all the way through the woodlands until you get to the river mouth estuary and mudflats, then walk back to your car at Marshall St. via Cinderella St. This should take you a couple of hours.
Cattana Wetlands
The first time I visited Cattana Wetlands, it was a series of wetlands with the surrounding land devoid of trees and a few bird hides. This was just after it was set up. It first started out as a sugar cane farm and sand mining quarry, but has since been rehabilitated. An amazing 100,000 native plants have been planted, and they have undergone extensive weed removal. So, as you can imagine, it has all changed! The wetlands are now surrounded by some really nice areas of lowland rainforest and feather palm forest. This has enabled the water and forest bird populations to flourish. The wetlands are particularly good for Green Pygmy-Goose and Comb-crested Jacana, usually providing an excellent opportunity to photograph these two species. Other water birds to look for are Black-necked Stork, Magpie Goose, Wandering Whistling-Duck, Little, Plumed and Great Egret, Glossy Ibis, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Australian Grebe, while scanning the muddy edges for a White-browed Crake. The crake can be quite common among the waterlilies on the southern edge of Jabiru Lake; listen for their distinctive call and look for movement in the waterlilies.
I have found a good spot to look for Crimson Finch (eastern black-bellied ssp phaeton) amongst the sugar cane that borders the southern side of Cuckoo Lake, where, along with Chestnut-breasted Mannikin and Scaly-breasted Munia, they might pop out and feed on the adjacent path. Crimson Finch can be a tricky bird to see in Cairns, with areas of sugar cane definitely the best place to look. Aside from sugar cane, they also love pandanus! In some areas of Queensland, find areas of pandanus, and you’ll find the Crimson Finch. Crimson Finch are extremely aggressive. A friend of mine, who had an aviary when he was a kid, said that if he put a Crimson Finch in a cage with other finches, the next day he’d find all the others were dead. That’s why they get the nickname ‘Blood Finch’ and, more simply, ‘Killer Finch’!
These days, in the rainforest fringes, I usually see Orange-footed Scrubfowl (now, called by some, Orange-footed Megapode), Pheasant Coucal, Little Bronze-cuckoo and Brush Cuckoo, Shining Flycatcher, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Pacific Koel, Large-billed Gerygone, Varied Triller, Green Oriole, Black Butcherbird, Spangled Drongo, Leaden Flycatcher, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Golden-headed Cisticola, Metallic Starling, Sahul (formerly Olive-backed) Sunbird, and honeyeaters such as Yellow-spotted, Yellow, Brown-backed, Dusky, and Brown Honeyeater.
Yorkeys Lagoon
4 km down the road from the Cattana Wetlands it is worth visiting Yorkeys Lagoon, a small lake next to the Half Moon Bay Golf Club. Park in the carpark on the west side of the wetland. It can be a bit hit-and-miss, but occasionally holds some excellent birds. For instance, I’ve seen Wandering and Plumed Whistling-Duck, Magpie Goose, Green Pygmy-Goose and Radjah Shelduck, Australasian Darter (nesting), and Nankeen Night-Heron. Around the wetland, I’ve seen Osprey (nesting), Bush Stone-curlew, Rainbow Bee-eater, Peaceful Dove, Yellow, Brown-backed and Brown Honeyeater, and Helmeted Friarbird. The grassy areas around the north section of the carpark hold Crimson Finch, Chestnut-breasted, and Scaly-breasted Mannikin. If you have the time and the inclination, you might walk into the mangroves to the west of the wetland (I’ve done it several times). Here I’ve seen Mangrove Robin, Torresian Kingfisher, and Shining Flycatcher.
Jack Barnes Mangrove Boardwalk
As you drive out of or into the airport, stop at the Jack Barnes Mangrove Boardwalk. It takes you through a range of mangrove forest stages (low, tall, and open). Again, it’s a good spot to see mangrove specialists. I have seen Little and Torresian Kingfisher, Striated Heron, Shining Flycatcher, Mangrove Robin, Large-billed Gerygone, Black Butcherbird, Varied Honeyeater, and Lovely Fairy-wren (seen once in the low, dense mangroves). The last time I was there, a large Saltwater Crocodile was sunning itself on the banks of Middle Creek. While there, listen for the sharp popping sounds of Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus sp.), made when they snap their enlarged claws together to warn off any intruders.
2. Daintree and Julatten (Northern Atherton Tablelands)
Newell Beach
When heading north to the Daintree, if you have time, visit Newell Beach, stopping at the boat ramp and walking east to the heads of the Mossman River. Like Machans Beach, there is a chance of seeing Beach Stone-Curlew feeding (or roosting) on the beach. It’s also good for waders such as Siberian and Greater Sand-Plover, Whimbrel, Eastern Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, and Bar-tailed Godwit and terns such as Little, Lesser and Greater Crested Tern.
Daintree River
Most birders head to the township of Daintree Village to do the Daintree River Nature Cruise. Expertly run by Murray Hunt, there are a range of key special targets for the boat trip, such as Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, Papuan Frogmouth, Black Bittern and, in recent times, Spotted Whistling-Duck. You are also likely to see Azure Kingfisher, Radjah Shelduck, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Little Bronze-Cuckoo, Black-fronted Dotterel, Australasian Darter, Nankeen Night Heron, Striated Heron, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Yellow-spotted, Cryptic, Brown-backed, Dusky, and Mcleay’s Honeyeater, and Large-billed Gerygone, amongst many others! That’s not a bad list! As a result, the boat trip is considered one of the must-do-trips for any Australian or visiting international birder! For instance, I can’t think of a single bird tour company that guides in FNQ that doesn’t include a boat trip on the Daintree as part of their itinerary. Note, however, because of its popularity, it can be hard to get on the boat, so make sure you book in advance.
Daintree Village and Stewart Creek Rd
Just to contradict myself in the paragraph above, the first time I visited Daintree Village, I wasn’t there to do the Daintree River boat trip. I was there to find two of FNQ’s most beautiful and sought-after species, the Lovely Fairy-wren and the Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (a summer specialist). For Lovely Fairy-wren, I’ve regularly seen them at several spots near the Daintree Village. They occur around a roadside pull-in several hundred metres down Stewart Creek Rd. They also occur along a very steep walking track that leads north behind the water tower in the centre of town, with a good spot to look being ~100 m or up the track after the last water tour. With an almost florescent blue head, male breeding plumaged Lovely Fairy-wren look spectacular! I have seen birding clients visibly taken aback by their beauty (read loveliness), exclaiming, “Wow!” Lovely Fairy-wren are also unusual amongst Australia’s fairy-wren, with the female having its own blue plumage. To add to their beauty, I have seen male Lovely Fairy-wren hold a pretty flower in their beak. It’s something the fairy-wrens do, as part of their breeding display, when a male becomes fully coloured, they present the females with a brightly coloured object during courtship, such as a yellow flower.
After looking for Lovely Fairy-wren, I tend to drive up Stewart Creek Rd looking for birds (of course). You can see some interesting birds along the way. In the areas of rainforests, such as just before you come to farmland, I usually see Spectacled, Black-faced, and Pied Monarch, Leaden and Shining Flycatcher, and Wompoo Fruit-Dove. I’ve also seen Black Bittern at the little culvert just before the farmland. While in the paddocks along Stewart Creek Rd, look for Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (particularly in tall grass), Forest Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Spangled Drongo, Australian Swiftlet, White-breasted Woodswallow, Australian Figbird, and Varied Triller, and look for raptors such as Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, and Pacific Baza.
Along Stewart Creek Rd ~7.5 km from the Daintree Village you come to an intersection with Beatrice Rd. Between November and April this is a excellent spot to look for Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher. There is also an excellent area of roadside rainforest at the end of Stewart Creek Rd, ~8 km from the Daintree township. Here, the road is blocked by a gate. Again, from November to April, here is a great spot to see Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher. In fact, it’s where I saw my very first Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher! Other birds to look for here include Pied and Spectacled Monarch, Shining Flycatcher, Black Butcherbird, Spangled Drongo, and Blue-winged Kookaburra, and I’ve heard Red-necked Crake calling from the creek line near the road.
The Daintree Rainforest
Over 135 million years old, the Daintree Rainforest is the oldest rainforest in the world! It is also the largest area of rainforest in Australia, covering over 1,200 square kilometres. It’s a beautiful area worth visiting just for its walks and wilderness experience—and birds, of course. To get to the Daintree rainforest itself, you need to cross the Daintree River on the Daintree Ferry. It operates from 6 a.m. to midnight daily. It provides access to the Cape Tribulation area via Cape Tribulation Road.
Around 7.5 km from the ferry, you come to the Jindalba Boardwalk. It is a wonderful walk that gives you access to some wonderful rainforest. I have found it good for a number of sought-after species, in particular the Noisy Pitta, Superb, and Wompoo Fruit-Dove. You can also see Spotted Catbird, Pied and Spectacled Monarch and, between November and April, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher. Southern Cassowary are regularly seen around the information centre before the start of the Jindalba Boardwalk, although, whenever I have visited, I am usually told, “You should have been here five minutes ago!”
The Marrdja Boardwalk (1 km loop), 26 km north of the Daintree Ferry, passes through rainforests and mangroves, then overlooks Noah Creek. It can be a good site for Southern Cassowary, and there is a chance of Little and Azure Kingfisher, Shining Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Victoria’s Riflebird, and Double-eyed Fig-Parrot.
The Dubuji Boardwalk, just south of Cape Tribulation, is simply stunning! As you walk through a forest of Fan Palm, you feel like you have just transported 100 million years back in time. It is just a wonderful walk! It can be good for Red-necked Crake, so keep an eye open for them.
Southern Cassowary is regularly along the Cape Tribulation Road. The last time I was there, I saw one around the turn-off to Cows Bay. It was sitting in a small section of rainforest scrub besides the road. They really are the rock star of birds in North Queensland. Within about five minutes of me finding it, around ten other cars and buses had stopped to take a look! Southern Cassowary are also regularly seen near the Cooper Creek crossing, 19 km from the Daintree Ferry. I have also seen Beach Stone-curlew often frequent the beach at the mouth of Coopers Creek, especially at low tide.
Julatten and Kingfisher Park
Virtually every time I’ve visited Cairns, my first destination after Cairns always seems to be Kingfisher Park Birdwatching Lodge in Julatten. This is no coincidence. Kingfisher Park and the surrounding areas are one of the top birding locations in Australia! It is run by Carol and Andrew Iles, who loved the place so much they bought it! They are great fun, great birders, and more than happy to provide any tips for seeing the special birds in area! Any tips given are pure gold!
The very first time I visited Kingfisher Park, I arrived just after dusk. In the darkness, the first bird I saw was Pale-yellow Robin. This was a bird I had previously searched for long and hard in north-central NSW (the uncommon southern subspecies capito). Yet here at Kingfisher Park, the northern subspecies nana was a common campground bird.
The following morning, I awoke to a dawn chorus full of intriguing bird calls, which included the sounds of Grey Whistler, Little (at the time Little, but now Rufous) Shrike-thrush, Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (Flyrobin, dito), Little Bronze-Cuckoo, Varied Triller, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Spectacled Monarch, and Fairy Gerygone. Honeyeaters were plentiful. There were Macleay’s, Yellow-spotted, Yellow, Lewin’s, Yellow-faced, Cryptic (formerly Graceful), Scarlet, and Dusky Honeyeater feeding in a flowering Grevillea along Mt. Kooyong Rd next to the campsite. Walking through the property, I saw Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Pacific Emerald Dove, Superb and Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Noisy Pitta, Sahul Sunbird, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Pied, Spectacled, and Black-faced Monarch, Cicadabird, Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Spangled Drongo, and Dollarbird. Not bad! In the orchard, a pair of Pupuan Frogmouth roosted in a large tree. Unfortunately, that tree has since been blown down in a cyclone, so the frogmouth now tends to hang out near the bridge on Mt. Koorong Rd.
Nearby Metallic Starling moved in unison like the peloton in the Tour de France, while a Pacific Baza roosted in the large eucalypt in the northern corner of the park. Australian Brushturkey and Orange-footed Scrubfowl (now called Orange-footed Megapod) marched around the grounds. The Orange footed Scrubfowl must surely be Australia’s silliest bird, with a head too small for its body. A Noisy Pitta patrolled its territory next to the main drive. I could hear their distinctive walk-to-work call from several hundred metres away. Another Noisy Pitta called from down at the creek near the Platypus viewing area.
One of the most sought-after species at Kingfisher Park is Red-necked Crake. It is a notoriously difficult bird to see; they are shy and live in dense thickets of rainforest near water. Best seen at dusk, they are occasionally seen near a small dam on the south side of Kingfisher Park’s orchard. I remember well the first time I saw Red-necked Crake. I was with Greg Oakley, and we strolled down to the dam with a couple of director chairs and a couple of cold beers. Here, we waited to see if the crake would appear. Sure enough, just on dusk, hey presto, a Red-necked Crake walked out into the open next to the dam! If only birding was always like this!
Another sought-after species at Kingfisher Park is the stunningly beautiful Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher. It is the namesake of the property, and features on the property’s logo. Carol and Andrew, the wonderful owners at Kingfisher Park, eagerly await their arrival back from New Guinea. Arriving in November, they usually stay to around April, with several pairs nesting on the property. As a general rule, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher are present where termite mounds suitable for nesting are located. Interestingly, the name Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher was only first used by Graham Pizzey in 1980 in his Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Prior to that it was known as the White-tailed Kingfisher. It had other names as well. Gould called it the White-tailed Tanysiptera (1869), Chisholm in Emu in 1932 referred to an alternative name being the Kinghunter, while one of the local first nations name for it was Tcherwal-Tcherwal, an onomatopoeic name related to the call it makes when it roosts in the rainforest. Anyone who has heard it calling, that’s perfect!
In terms of nightbirds at Kingfisher Park, it’s not unusual to hear Lesser Sooty Owl, as well as Barn and Barking Owl. It is said that when the latter is present, they tend to drive away the Lesser Sooty Owl. The wails of the Bush Stone-curlew can usually be heard in the distance and are often found on the nearby oval. And, as mentioned above, there’s usually a pair of Papuan Frogmouth somewhere around the property. It’s worth asking Carol or Andrew (the property’s owners) as to where they are currently roosting.
In terms of mammals, a definite highlight at Kingfisher Park is the stunning Striped Possum, probably the world’s most beautiful possum. I’ve been fortunate enough to see them a few times at Kingfisher Park. Often difficult to track down, I’ve had them feeding in a tree immediately next to my tent, while another time there was one walking along the powerline on Mt. Kooyong Rd. Other mammals I’ve seen there include the Ringtail Possum, Fawn-footed Melomy, Long-nosed and Northern Brown Bandicoot, Platypus, and Prehensile-tailed Tree Mouse.
It is definitely worth looking out for fancy tropical butterflies at Kingfisher Park. Both Cairns Birdwing and Ulysses Swallowtail can be seen regularly. Both are stunning, with a particularly good spot to look for them being the orchard. Other butterflies I’ve seen there include Orchard Swallowtail, Clearwing Swallowtail, Dingy Swallowtail, Monarch, Common Crow, Australian Painted Lady, Cruiser, Common Eggfly, Common Grass-yellow, Yellow Emperor, Green Spotted Triangle, Lesser Wanderer, Blue Argus, Blue Tiger, Red-banded Jezebel, Black Jezebel, Swordgrass Brown, and Common Oakblue. I am always intrigued by the Clearwing Swallowtail. Unique to Queensland, you can confidently identify them by their wonderful transparent wings.
Perhaps my biggest insect highlight I have had at Kingfisher Park is an encounter with an enormous Golden Huntsman (Beregama aurea), Australia’s largest huntsman spider. And when I say it was enormous, this thing was gigantic! Its outstretched legs must have been at least 25 cm across! That’s nearly a foot across, or the size of a dinner plate! It must’ve been a female spider, about to give birth, because its abdomen was about the size of a golf ball! So, where did I encounter this enormous spider? In the men’s shower, of course!! I had just gotten into the shower when I noticed a massive, moving beast just a foot away from my head! During the day, most huntsmen prefer to rest in retreats under bark or a crevice. This one chose my shower. It was moving a bit like a puppet, as though there was a puppeteer moving each leg with strings. I’m not an arachnophobe, but, as you can imagine, I made the decision to move to an adjacent shower block and have my shower there.
Mt Lewis and Mount Lewis Rd
When visiting Julatten, one of the must-do things is to go birding on Mount Lewis. It is a biodiversity hotspot, with a large number of rare and threatened species found there. Mount Lewis is an outstanding highland-rainforest area and a hotspot for animal diversity and endemism. Many of the high rainforest-clad mountains of North Queensland are inaccessible. Mount Lewis is a notable exception. Along the upper reaches of Mount Lewis Road, you will find some of the most significant highland rainforest in Australia, and it is an equally significant site for highland rainforest endemics. To give you an indication of how significant Mount Lewis is, here’s a list of some of the sought-after species I have seen there: Golden Bowerbird, Chowchilla, Mountain Thornbill, Atherton Scrubwren, Bridled Honeyeater, Fernwren, Bower’s Shrike-thrush, Tooth-billed Bowerbird and Blue-faced Parrot-Finch, while, on the way up to the mountain, I’ve seen Noisy Pitta, Victoria’s Riflebird, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher and Barred Cuckoo-Shrike.
Note: at the time of updating this report (2024) the Mt Lewis Road bridge had been washed away, and there is no currently access to Mt Lewis. This will change once they rebilled the bridge.
Mt. Lewis Road is accessed via the Mossman-Mt. Molloy Road, a couple of kilometres north of Kingfisher Park. Once a 4×4 track, these days it’s accessible with a standard road car. I’ve travelled up this road dozens of times, mostly concentrating on a clearing ~10 km up the road. I then walk up the small walking track that heads west. If you follow this track to its end, you come to a delightful small dam.
Before heading up to the clearing, I usually stop at a number of spots. The first is the bridge on Mount Lewis Road, which is located just before you head up the mountain. This is a good spot for Barred Cuckoo-Shrike, especially if there are some fruiting trees nearby. The area immediately after the bridge can also be good for Noisy Pitta and, in summer, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher, especially where the rainforests begin. Last time I was there I had both within 10 metres of where I was standing. Then, heading up the mountain, stop and listen for Noisy Pitta and Victoria’s Riflebird. I regularly hear, and then see, both species about halfway up Mount Lewis Road. The main area for birding at Mount Lewis is a grassy clearing located on Mount Lewis Rd (it’s around 12 km from the Mossman–Mount Molloy Rd). From here starts the Dam Track, a steep walking path leads up from the clearing to a picturesque dam (4 km return).
The grassy clearing is excellent for highland rainforest endemics such as Bridled Honeyeater, Mountain Thornbill, and Atherton Scrubwren, as well as rainforest pigeons such as Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Wompoo and Superb Fruit-Dove, White Headed Pigeon, Topknot Pigeon, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, and Emerald Dove. The clearing is a known summer site for seeing the much-sought-after Blue-faced Parrot-Finch. Between mid-November and April, a few birds are usually present, normally intermixed with flocks of Red-browed Finch.
From the clearing, hike up the walking track (approx. 4 km return) that leads west to a small dam near the top of Mt Lewis. Along this track, there is a chance of seeing Chowchilla and Fernwren as they rustle in the undergrowth. Tooth-billed Bowerbird and Spotted Catbird call regularly along the track, I regularly get a good view or two of these species. Keep a close eye out for Golden Bowerbird along the track. I’ve seen several birds on the walk up to the dam, mainly none-coloured birds.
Along the walking track, I also usually see Bower’s Shrike-thrush, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Grey-headed and Pale-headed Robin, Grey and Golden Whistler, Eastern Whipbird, Bridled and Lewin’s Honeyeater, Spectacled Monarch, Rufous and Grey Fantail (dark ‘Mountain Grey Fantail’ ssp keasti), Bassian Thrush, White-throated Treecreeper (‘Little Treecreeper’ ssp minor), and Mountain Thornbill. I usually see four species of Sericornis, the Scrubwren, including Atherton, Large-billed, Yellow-throated, and White-browed Scrubwren (perhaps surprisingly the latter is the least common). That’s a lot of Scrubwren.
In terms of mammals, Mt Lewis reputably has the highest concentration and biodiversity of mammals anywhere in Australia. Most of the mammals are active only at night, so to see them you will need to spotlight along the road up and along the walking track. It’s possible to see Herbert River, Daintree River and Lemuroid Ringtail Possum, Long-tailed Pygmy Possum and there is a chance of both Northern and Tiger Quoll. Boyd’s Forest Dragon are also reasonably common.
Abattoir Swamp
At Abattoir Swamp, open woodlands surround a small car park, with a newly refurbished boardwalk leading to a bird hide. Despite being a swamp, where you’d think waterbirds are the main feature, they’re not. Unfortunately, much of Abattoir Swamp has been overrun by Olive Hymenachne (Hymenachne amplexicaulis), a highly invasive grassy weed. The real treasure of Abattoir Swamp is woodland birds, particularly honeyeaters! From what I can ascertain, a remarkable 29 species of honeyeater have been recorded there! That’s incredible, particularly for an area no bigger than a football field. They are particularly numerous when the Broad-leafed Paperbark (Melaleuca viridiflora) is flowering. The most likely honeyeaters you see at Abattoir Swamp are Brown-backed, Yellow, Dusky, Brown, Scarlet, Yellow-faced, Cryptic, White-throated, White-cheeked, Yellow-spotted, Lewin’s, and Bridled Honeyeater and there is also a chance of Blue-faced, Bridled, White-naped, Black-chinned, Macleay’s Honeyeater, as well as Eastern Spinebill, and Noisy, Little, and Helmeted Friarbird. Less commonly recorded honeyeaters include White-gaped, Yellow-tinted, Fuscous, Bar-breasted, Rufous-throated, Banded, and White-streaked Honeyeater, and Noisy Miner. That’s a honeyeater bonanza! Simply incredible!
Aside from honeyeaters, other birds I have seen at Abattoir Swamp include Blue-winged Kookaburra, Pheasant Coucal, Lovely and Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-bellied Cuckoo-strike, Varied Triller, Common Cicadabird, Rufous Shrike-thrush, Rufous Whistler, Northern Fantail, Tawny Grassbird, and Leaden Flycatcher, and on my first ever visit there I saw White-browed Crake on the water’s edge near the bird hide.
Just north of Abattoir Swamp, where Sides Rd intersects with Mossman-Mt Molloy Rd, there is a small path that leads east along a very small creek line. When the grass is seeding this spot can be a good spot to see Blue-faced Parrot-Finch, often feeding in associated with Red-browed Finch. Note: I’ve noticed that just recently much of this area has been cleared. It will be interesting to see if this has any impact of the presence of the finches.
Mount Molloy
There are some nice areas for birding around the small township of Mount Molloy. The trees and lawns around the township are a good place to spot Great Bowerbird, with a couple of active bowers around town. A particularly impressive bower is at Mt Malloy Primary School. The school actively encourages birdwatchers to come and see it, with a special path to the bower. In the town’s street trees you can usually see Pale-headed Rosella, Red-winged Parrot and Blue-faced Honeyeater. Immediately south of the town, on the way to Mareeba, there is are some sports fields where I’ve seen Square-tailed Kite patrolling the forest edge. 
A Great Bowerbird’s bower; or is it the home of Totoro!
Australian Bustard: East and West Mary Rd
I’ve found the best spot to see Australian Bustard in FNQ is seen along both East Mary Rd and West Mary Rd; they are both accessed via the Mulligan Hwy just over 20 km west of Mt Molloy. Drive up either of these two roads, and you should see several Australian Bustard striding through the farm paddocks. Greater numbers are seen here during the breeding season when you may see several large males involved in breeding displays. This is a conspicuous performance! With their heads held proudly upward, they expand a neck sac to display a large, swaying skirt. It’s an impressive sight! The habitat in this area has change significantly from that around Julatten, being much drier and the birds are dry woodland species. Other birds I have seen along East and West Mary Rd include Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Pale-headed Rosella, Red-winged Parrot, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Yellow and Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, and Pied Butcherbird. There is some good nearby accommodation at the aptly named Bustard Downs. I’ve not stayed there, but I hear it is good.
Big Mitchell Creek
Big Mitchell Creek is a reliable place to search for White-browed Robin. I’ve seen them here on several locations. The first, I simply pulled into the parking area immediately next to the bridge, dropped down into the dry creek bed, whistled several times, and out popped the robin. Another time, I parked several hundred metres north along the Mulligan Hwy and joined Big Mitchell Creek there. Again, I found White-browed Robin with relative ease. However, I have to say, that on other occasions I have found them quite hard to find, spending quite a bit of time walking up the creek bed. Other birds I have seen along Big Mitchell Creek include Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, Northern Fantail, Noisy Friarbird, Pale-headed Rosella, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Pied Butcherbird, and Striated Pardalote.
Lake Mitchell
Lake Mitchell, sometimes referred to as Quaids Dam, is a tremendous wetland area, with the best access along the causeway track, just west of Big Mitchell Creek. Looking distinctively like the Camargue in southern France, waterbirds feed among water lilies. The wetland can be covered with thousands of waterbirds. It’s a good spot to look for Cotton Pygmy-Goose, and you can also see Green Pygmy-Goose, Magpie Goose, Comb-crested Jacana, Wandering and Plumed Whistling-Duck, Black-necked Stork, Whiskered Tern, and fish-eating raptors such as White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Osprey. Note: unfortunately the causeway is now closed to the public, so viewing of Lake Mitchell will have to be done from the highway, where there is a viewing area.
3. Atherton Tablelands
The southern Atherton Tablelands is a region with various environments between 500m and 1,500m above sea level. Streams and waterfalls run between rainforest-covered mountains, while tall sclerophyll forests border rainforests, and the rolling farmlands are interspersed with wetlands. The habitat dramatically changes the further west you go, with the environment becoming a lot drier and the dominant habitat type becoming savannah woodlands. For birdwatchers, there are three main towns of note in the Atherton Tableland, the townships of Atherton, Mareeba and Yungaburra, with the latter the town that most birdwatchers tend to base themselves. Overall, the Atherton Tableland is an absolutely amazing place to go birdwatching, with a very long list of significant birdwatching sites, perhaps more than any region in Australia!
Curtain Fig Tree National Park
Near Yungaburra, the enormous Curtain Fig Tree is unique because of the extensive aerial roots that drop to the forest floor, forming a ‘curtain’. It’s approximately 50 metres (160 ft) high with a trunk circumference of 39 metres (128 ft). The Curtain Fig Tree is an excellent place for birding. It’s a good place to see Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, who nest in the tree’s upper branches. Look for the tiny nesting hollows on the upper horizontal branches on the east side of the tree. It’s also a good place to see Pied Monarch and Yellow-breasted Boatbill, as well as Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Spotted Catbird, Lewin’s and Macleay’s Honeyeater, Large-billed Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, Eastern Whipbird, Rufous and Bower’s Shrike-thrush, Black-faced and Spectacled Monarch, Victoria’s Riflebird, Pale-yellow and Grey-headed Robin. Be aware, though, that it’s a major tourist destination and can get very busy, so if visiting, it is worth getting there as early as possible.
A more recent photo of me, looking up into the incredible Curtain Fig Tree.
Nighttime is certainly one of the best times to visit the Curtain Fig Tree. A pair of Sooty Owls is often near nearby, and it is home to the best places to spotlight for the region’s nocturnal animals, notably Lumholtz’s Tree-kangaroo, Green Ringtail, Herbert River Ringtail, Lemuroid Ringtail, Coppery Brushtail, Striped Possum, and Sugar Glider, while you may also see Musky Rat-Kangaroo Curtain Fig (they are diurnal, so you may see them around the base of the tree during the day), Red-legged Pademelon, Barred Bandicoot, White-tailed Rat, and Spectacled Fruit-bat!
Hasties Swamp
Hasties Swamp, 5 km south of Atherton, can attracts enormous numbers of Plumed and Wandering Whistling-Duck and Magpie Goose, and is also a known roosting site for Brolga and Saurus Crane. On occasion, there are literally thousands of these species. Other waterfowl I have seen there include Green Pygmy-Goose, Pink-eared Duck, Hardhead, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Grey Teal, and, on one occasion I visited in 2013, a dozen or so Freckled Duck (Australia’s rarest duck). Also, on the water, there’s normally good numbers of Australian Pelican, Australasian Grebe and Great Crested Grebe (mainly in winter), Dusky Moorhen, and Coot, while around the water’s edge, you’ll see Great and Plumed Egret, White-necked Heron, Royal Spoonbill, Masked Lapwing, Comb-crested Jacana, Pied Stilt, Purple Swamphen, and Black-fronted and Red-kneed Dotterel.
In front of the bird hide, Buff-banded Rail feed on aquatic foliage that includes Slender Knotweed, Water Snowflake while, in summer, various waders visit the wetland, including Latham’s Snipe, Common and Sharp-tailed, Marsh and Wood Sandpiper and Common Greenshank. The north-west edge of the lagoon is fringed by sedges and a narrow band of tea-tree. Look for Agile Wallaby as they come to the water edge to drink. The trees around the bird hide and up and down Koci Road attract a variety of woodland species. Here I have seen Red-backed Fairy-wren, Lewin’s, Scarlet, Yellow-faced, Brown, Macleay’s and White-cheeked Honeyeater, Brown Gerygone, Large-billed Scrubwren, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Golden and Rufous Whistler, Rufous Shrike-thrush, Eastern Yellow Robin, Black-faced and Spectacled Monarch, and Yellow-bellied Boatbill. In the reeds near the birdhide, look for Tawny Grassbird, Australian Reed Warbler, Golden-headed Cisticola, as well as Chestnut-breasted Mannikin and Red-browed Finch. All in all, Hasties Swamp is a must-visit wetland!
Mount Hypipamee
Over 1000 m high in altitude, Mount Hypipamee National Park protects some fantastic upland rainforest. The higher altitude of the Atherton Tablelands is home to a range of species found nowhere else. It is around 25 km from Atherton, just off Kennedy Hwy. This is one of those sites where some of the best birding is around the carpark and picnic area. This is because it’s surrounded by an enormous wall of rainforest. It’s not just the carpark at Mt. Hypipamee that’s good; there is excellent birding along the roadside to the carpark, i.e., the road in from Kennedy Hwy, and there is excellent birding along the 400m walking track to a platform that overlooks Mount Hypipamee crater.
Around the main carpark and picnic area, there is a chance of Golden Bowerbird, Tooth-billed Bower, Satin Bower, Spotted Catbird, and Victoria’s Riflebird, particularly if there are some fruiting trees. If there are some fruiting trees, it’s simply a matter of waiting to see what comes out and plays. One time I visited, a large fig in the north-east corner was fruiting, and over the course of an hour or so, all the birds mentioned above came into feed, as well as fruit-eating doves such as Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Superb and Wompoo Fruit-Dove, and Topknot Pigeon.
The carpark and along the road are also good for White-throated (‘Little Treecreeper’ ssp minor) Treecreeper, Pale-yellow and Grey-headed Robin, Brown Gerygone, Bower’s Shrike-thrush (listen out for their wonderful melodious call), Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler, Rufous and Grey (‘Mountain Grey Fantail’ ssp keasti) Fantail, and honeyeaters, such as Bridled (a high-altitude specialist), Macleay’s, Lewin’s, and Scarlet Honeyeater.
The walk to the crater is good for the smaller passerines, such as Atherton, Large-billed and Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Fernwren, Chowchilla, Mountain Thornbill, and Brown Gerygone. A particularly good spot for looking around in the vicinity of the first bridge and from there for several hundred metres. The crater walk is also a reliable place to see Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo, while Boyd’s Forest Dragon are quite common.
Walking the road into Mt. Hypipamee is another good way to see Victoria’s Riflebird. They tend to give their presence away when they make their loud, harsh rasping call—perhaps not the sort of call you would expect from such a wonderful-looking bird. But then again, it’s quite common for the more colorful birds to have unpleasant calls, while some of our duller, least colorful birds have incredibly melodious calls. Just think of the cuckooshrikes. This, of course, is linked to their evolutionary history. Attractive birds appeal to their mate(s) through looks and display, while duller birds attract their mate through song. Golden Bowerbird, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, and Spotted Catbird can also be seen and heard along the road into Mt. Hypipamee.
I have had several encounters with Southern Cassowary at Mt. Hypipamee. Once, I was near the small bridge, and a young male cassowary ran past me at full speed. I thought that was funny; something must be up! Sure enough, just a few minutes later, a large male cassowary came charging out of the rainforest, chasing the first cassowary. It was a great experience for me, but not so good for the poor young Cassowary.
Another time I was walking with a group of birders (my tour group), about 12 of us, up the road into the carpark. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, there was a young Southern Cassowary standing right in the middle of our group! The birders were stunned! Mostly British, this was their first encounter with a cassowary, and here was one staying right next to them! Once everyone had calmed down and we were satisfied with our cassowary encounter, we decided to move on. The cassowary decided to come with us! Up the road and into the rainforest! Both us and the cassowary. Suddenly, I notice a male Golden Bowerbird flying, looking like fire, through the rainforest. I had to tell the group to stop looking at the cassowary and look at the Golden Bowerbird! Then, there was this moment where all the birders were looking at the bowerbird, and immediately behind them was a cassowary, also looking in the direction of the bowerbird. I imagine it was wondering what all the excitement was about. I imaged it thinking, “You’re all looking in the wrong direction; I’m over here!”
Golden Bowerbird is an amazing species. The gold of the male makes this one of Australia’s most spectacular-looking birds. Its call lacks any melody; it is more of a buzzing, metallic grind that sounds like no other Australian bird. Most Golden Bowerbird lack a golden colour; the females are grey, and males don’t ‘colour-up’ until they are seven years old. So, when you do see a Golden Bowerbird, the chances are they’ll be grey. But when you come across a male Golden Bowerbird, they are sensational to see. As mentioned, when they fly through the rainforest, they look like a stream of fire moving across the landscape, making them one of Australia’s most magnificent birds.
Finally, the crater itself is spectacular! It’s almost 70 m across, with sheer granite cliffs that stretch 60 m below the rim, down to a lake that’s over 70 m deep. The granite cliffs are the favorite haunt of the Peregrine Falcon. Most years, a pair will nest on the cliffs here.
Crater Lakes National Park
There are two different sections of Crater Lakes National Park: Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine. Both are surrounded by upland rainforest and are birding spots.
Lake Eacham
Like a lot of rainforest sites, some of the best birding is around the carparks. Lake Eacham’s carpark is particularly good; you would have to rate it as one of the Atherton Tableland’s best birding spots. Birding there early in the morning is particularly rewarding, especially for fruit-eating pigeons. I have found it’s not unusual to get as many as 10 pigeon species, including White-headed Dove, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Pacific Emerald Dove (particularly on the road in), Wompoo, Superb and Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Bar-shouldered and Peaceful Dove, and Topknot Pigeon. That’s a nice selection of pigeons! The carpark is a particularly good spot for Barred Cuckoo-shrike, look for them at the tops of any fruiting tree. They have a distinctive brassy caw-caw call that first indicates where they are. Around the carpark, I also usually see Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Spotted Catbird, White-throated Treecreeper, Varied Triller, Eastern Whipbird, Bower’s and Rufous Shrike-thrush, Grey-headed and Pale-yellow Robin, Golden Whistler, and Victoria’s Riflebird. The area is great for monarchs! I’ll often see all four species in one morning: Black-faced, Spectacled, Pied and White-eared. Throw in Yellow-breasted Boatbill, and that’s a nice collection of these sought-after rainforest birds! Honeyeaters here include Yellow-spotted, Lewin’s, Bridled, Dusky, Scarlet, Cryptic and Macleay’s Honeyeater.
Certainly a favourite of mine, Pied Monarch
There’s a nice 3 km trail (it’s called the Lake Circuit Track) that heads around the lake. I tend to enter it from the south-east side. The birding along the beginning of the trail can be good for smaller birds, such as Yellow-throated, Atherton, and Large-billed Scrubwren, Mountain Thornbill, and Brown Gerygone. Around the start of this trail, I usually see Musky Rat-Kangaroo. An extremely unusual marsupial, it’s our smallest kangaroo and is the last in a line of similar species that existed 20 million years ago. It has retained some of the ancient characters of extinct relatives, such as opposable thumbs on their hind feet and a tail covered with small scales. Look for them quadrupedally bounding around on the ground doing slow ‘bunny hops’.
So, here’s good news. Tooth-billed Bowerbird, an endemic to FNQ, can be notoriously hard to see! Generally, when birding, you know where they are; they’re making a racket, or, to put it another way, they’re calling from a nearby tree. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t locate them! Well, the good news is that Lake Eacham is probably the easiest place to see Tooth-billed Bowerbird in Australia! This is because there are at least four display courts, or ‘stage-type bowers’ — hence its alternate name, the Stagemaker — several hundred metres down the Lake Circuit Track. And these are directly beside the track. Here you can see the ‘stage’ of the Tooth-billed Bowerbird, a collection of green upturned leaves placed on the ground. Nearby, there will be at least one tree that’s used by the male for perching. When a female approaches, the male drops to the ground and displays. Very cool!
Birdwise, the lake at Lake Eacham itself can be quiet. However, there are several highlights. It is one of the best spots in the Tableland for Great Crested Grebe, which prefer large bodies of fresh water with sizeable sheets of open water for foraging. Lake Eacham fits the brief perfectly. Another highlight of Lake Eacham is the presence of Saw-shelled Turtle, which are quite common. It is also one of the few native Australian animals successful in preying on the introduced and very poisonous Cane Toad, which can be lethal to other freshwater turtles. A good place to see Saw-shelled Turtle at Lake Eacham is from the boardwalks on the southeast side of the lake. Lake Eacham also has a wide selection of fish, such as Archerfish, Barred Grunter, Mouth Almighty, Eastern Rainbowfish and Bony Bream. These are all Australian native fish; however, they were all introduced to the lake in the mid-1980s. Unfortunately, they then outcompeted the existing native fish, such as Lake Eacham rainbowfish, Purple-spotted Gudgeon and Flyspecked Hardyhead, which are now extinct.
Nighttime can be pretty special at Lake Eacham. Both Lesser Sooty Owl and Southern Boobook (reddish smaller ssp lurida) occur there. I have seen both around the main carpark. I’ve also seen them at the nearby Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodge. An excellent place to stay, Chambers has self-contained units with large decks where, in the morning, Victoria’s Riflebird and Spotted Catbird come to eat your sultanas (if you have any). The Lodge is famous for its wildlife viewing platform, being easily the best place in Australia for seeing the gorgeous Striped Possum. On Chambers platform, I’ve also seen Kreft’s (formerly Sugar) Glider, Long-nosed Bandicoot, and Bush Rat.
Lake Barrine
Like Lake Eacham, Lake Barrine is a good spot for Great Crested Grebe. The surrounding rainforest is also good for the fruit-eating pigeons, such as Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Pacific Emerald Dove, Wompoo, Superb and Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, and Topknot Pigeon, as well as most of the rainforest species you find at Lake Eacham. Lake Barrine’s shallow edges with reeds and water lilies make it a little more favorable to waterbirds, so there is a chance of seeing elusive crakes and rails, such as Spotless and Red-necked Crake and Pale-vented Bush-hen. Great Crested Grebe is common, and you might see Wandering and Plumed Whistling-Duck, Hardhead. Long-fin Eel are also common. They undergo a remarkable migration (via Toohey Creek and the Mulgrave River) to the sea to breed. Adult eels swim downstream to the sea and then migrate to their spawning grounds near New Caledonia. Developing leptocephali, the transparent larvae of the eel, take about one year to return to the streams of eastern Australia.
Granite Gorge Nature Park
About 14 km south-west of Mareeba, Granite Gorge Nature Park is worth investigating, not just for the birds but also to see Mareeba Rock Wallaby. They can be seen at the entrance stairs to the park and are extremely tame. When I visit Granite Gorge with a tour company, I don’t actually go into the nature park itself; I tend to just birdwatch around the carpark and campsites and around the paddock immediately to the south of the campsites, i.e., I do a loop around the campsite and paddock. The main targets for Granite Gorge are the dry woodland birds, with Granite Gorge being a surprisingly good place to see them. The main target of the woodland birds is Squatter Pigeon. Normally quite hard to track down, at Granite Gorge they are ridiculously easy to see. There are regularly 20 or so birds hanging around the car park. It’s just a matter of walking around and finding them. Another of the main targets is Pale-headed Rosella. The rosella here is an intergrade form, i.e., a mix between the northern palliceps ssp, known as the ‘Blue-cheeked Rosella’, and the southern adscitus ssp, known as the ‘Pale-headed Rosella’. The campsites are also a good spot to see Fairy and White-throated Gerygone; listen for the distinctive little calls. The call of the White-throated Gerygone is one of my favourite bird calls. I liken it to the sound of a tiny waterfall, or water dripping, if that makes sense.
Other birds I usually see on the ‘loop’ include Red-winged Parrot, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Grey-crowned Babbler, Great Bowerbird (there’s usually a few bowers about the place), Blue-winged and Laughing Kookaburra, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Olive-backed Oriole, Leaden Flycatcher, Pheasant Coucal, Peaceful and Bar-shouldered Dove, Striated Pardalote, Double-barred Finch, and honeyeaters such as Yellow, White-throated, Scarlet and Blue-faced Honeyeater, and Little and Noisy Friarbird. That’s a pretty impressive list of woodland birds! In early summer, Channel-billed Cuckoo can be common. In fact, on one occasion, I saw at least 50, easily the most I’ve ever seen in one place! Keep an eye out for Wedge-tailed Eagle, as there are often a pair circling overhead. On your way to Granite Gorge, there is a farm dam on Chewko Rd. This can be good for birds such as Sarus Crane and Brolga.
Mareeba
I’ll let you in on a secret. Normally, to see White-browed Robin you have to walk up some dry creek bed, often with the sun beating down, during the heat of the day. It can be hard work! They are, however, present at Jack Bethel Park on Sutherland St. in downtown Mareeba! It’s an unusual park. Previously, a lot of work had been done on landscaping it. Now, it seems abandoned, a bit like a small version of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The White-browed Robin mostly hangs out at the back or east side of the park, which borders the Barron River. If you don’t find them there, you could try on the river itself, along the Barren River Trail.
Paddocks and Farmland around the Atherton Tableland
A point of interest. In some ways, all the roads and paddocks on the Atherton Tableland are birding spots. For instance, there is an area known as ‘Crane Central’. This is where there are rich red-dirt paddocks, immediately south-west of the township of Atherton. These farm paddocks contain the very deep, rich basaltic soils the Atherton Tableland is famous for. Essentially, this is the area between the Gillies Range Rd, the Atherton-Malanda Rd, and the Curtain Figtree Rd. This is the main place where you see Brolga and Sarus Crane. Sometimes there are thousands of cranes in these, particularly from May to November. These paddocks can also hold large numbers of other birds, including Magpie Geese, Plumed Whistling-Duck, Eastern Cattle Egret, Australian Swamphen and Masked Lapwing. Other birds, such as Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, sometimes also feed in these paddocks. The paddocks are also a good spot for raptors. I have seen Spotted and March Harrier, Square-tailed, Black, Whistling and Black-shouldered Kite, Grey and Brown Goshawk, Australian Hobby and Peregrine and Brown Falcon. At night, Eastern Barn Owl is quite common, and this area is a good spot for seeing the rare Australian Grass Owl.
Southern Cassowary and Etty Bay
Finally, something a bit further afield, but a place you want to go birdwatching! There is a small township on the coast called Etty Bay. It’s around 100 km south of Cairns, near Innisfail. There’s a gorgeous tropical beach there; it’s worth visiting for that alone. And you can go swimming, which is very unusual for the beaches of FNQ. However, in birding terms, it is significant for just one reason! That’s the best place to see Southern Cassowary in Australia! I have visited it perhaps dozens of times, and I have only ever dipped once, and that was mainly due to time restraints. Most other times, I’ve already seen them before I even reached the beach!
So, what is the situation at Etty Beach? Etty Bay Rd is about 5 km long, and leads to Etty Bay Beach. About two thirds along the road you come to some paddocks, before heading up a hill prior to reaching the beach. Southern Cassowary can be seen along the roadside from that paddock all the way to the beach. They particularly like to feed in the lawns of a couple of houses immediately after the paddock. But, if you do see one, remember these are private properties, so respect their land and privacy. Southern Cassowary also visit the beach 2 or 3 times a day. It is said there is a territorial boundary of two males down the middle of the beach, so they come in to check the boundary (particularly in the early morning and late afternoon. So, if you where desperate to see a Southern Cassowary, you could just hang around all day until one showed up! You will see one that way. Alternatively you could drive up and down Etty Bay Rd a few times if you get board a sitting around. That usually works
Some Concluding Remarks
On an average birding visit to the Cairns region, my total bird list for the trip was ~300 species, much more if I travel further afield (such as the Gulf of Carpentaria or the Iron Range). Most of my recent trips are for bird tour companies, where we target all the species of birds in the area. Although I remember doing one trip where I stayed five nights at Kingfisher Park and birdwatched whenever and wherever. Targeting to get a good photograph of a Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher one moment, then looking for White-browed Robin the next. I once camped for five nights at Kingfisher Park and birded whenever and wherever I felt like on the day, targeting Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher one moment and then Black-throated Finch the next. Simply perfect. Few birdwatchers would question that the area around Cairns is Australia’s premier birding location. As mentioned in the introduction, from a purely twitching viewpoint, when most Australian birdwatchers first visit the region they’ll end up with around 100 new species. When visiting overseas birdwatchers first visit Cairns they’ll get nearly 300 new species! There are not too many places in the world where you can do that!
