Cairns and Atherton Tablelands

Full Day Birding Tour

This region is an exceptional area for birds and has an incredibly diverse range of habitats within easy reach.  On this tour we can visit coastal and highland rainforest, tropical woodland, grassland, wetlands, tidal mudflats, mangroves and farmland.

With such high diversity the birding can be very exciting and you can expect to see around a hundred different species during the day.  This may include some of the Wet Tropics endemics such as Grey-headed Robin, Chowchilla, Bower’s Shrike-thrush, Pied Monarch, Victoria’s Riflebird, Tooth-billed Bowerbird and Golden Bowerbird.

We also hope to see a number of the specials found in the Northern Tropics, including Southern Cassowary, Sarus Crane, Superb Fruit-Dove, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Lovely Fairy-wren, and Yellow-breasted Boatbill.

The day starts with an early pickup from your accommodation for some of the best wader bird viewing in the world, along the Cairns Esplanade. We visit some of the best birding sites around the city and lowland with the chance to see iconic species like Laughing Kookaburra and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.

In the lush tropical rainforest of the coastal ranges we have a fair chance of Fruit-Doves and could be lucky to see a Cassowary. We listen for the harsh call of Victoria’s Riflebird, a Bird of Paradise and may be rewarded with a glimpse of the spectacular courtship display.

The open woodland areas of the Tablelands hold many different species including Parrots, Finches and Red-backed Fairy-wren. The lakes and wetlands seasonally hold a good selection of waterfowl. Brolga and Sarus Crane are possible in the farming areas and there are often interesting raptors above the fields.

Later we visit an area of ancient high elevation rainforest in search of some of the rare endemics including Golden Bowerbird and Chowchilla. We arrive back at your accommodation in the late afternoon.