Birdwatching

In The Hinchinbrook Region

With over 380 bird species sighted and recorded throughout the year, Hinchinbrook is a birdwatcher’s mecca!

Hinchinbrook’s rugged beauty and diverse range of habitats provides the perfect environment to support an abundance of birdlife.

For the bird lovers, spotters, photographers and twitchers… the choice of where to begin your birdwatching journey is endless.

Best time to birdwatch in Hinchinbrook

Bird watching is relaxing, fun and fulfilling at any time of the day.

However, in order to capture the perfect picture, some times of the day are better than others.

When is the best time for bird watching? It varies, as each species of birds habits vary. Knowing the right time is completely dependent on the birds behaviour, eating habits, weather, season and general environment.

However, for most bird species, the best opportunity to glimpse birdlife is early morning, when it is cool and birds can utilise the rays of the sun for mite control and forage for water and food. If you are not an early riser, no problem! You will have just as much chance to spot plenty of birdlife on dusk, when birds venture out after the heat subsides, and forage for food before nightfall. Birdlife numbers grow within the Hinchinbrook area during the dryer months between September to December, when the number of wetland species increases.

Tracking bird sightings in Hinchinbrook

The eBird Australia app is the perfect tool for recording and maintaining bird sightings all around Australia.

The app has revolutionised the way birding communities can efficiently report and access information about birds and their recent activities.

eBird allows users to provide their personal bird records and enable them to visualise data with interactive maps, graphs and bar charts. Birdwatchers simply enter where, when and how they went birding, and fill out a checklist of the birds seen and heard during their outing. Check out this app and find out what birds have been recently sighted at TYTO Wetlands.

eBird Australia

Great spots for Birdwatching

in Hinchinbrook

Birdwatching at TYTO Wetlands

Tyto longimembris (Eastern Grass Owl), was the inspiration for the naming of the TYTO Wetlands. The Wetlands are a naturally low-lying floodplain where, for many thousands of years, creeks and streams from the Herbert River Catchment have drained, to form a natural wetland; part of the Herbert River Delta.

Home to over 230 permanent and seasonal bird species, TYTO Wetlands have a bird species diversity that rivals Kakadu National Park, Nothern Territory in a space 18,000 times smaller! 27.4% of Australian Bird species call the TYTO Wetlands home.

Boasting four kilometres of designated walking tracks, four bird viewing platforms, seating and a multitude of different eco-systems; TYTO Wetlands offers a peaceful spot to spend days exploring and discovering the heart and soul of birdwatching. Key birdwatching species include the Eastern Grass Owl, White-browed Crake, Crimson Finch, Jacana and Cotton Pygmy-Geese.

Birdwatching at Broadwater

Birdwatching enthusiasts and photographers of all ages and expertise are sure to find something on their must-see list.

Broadwater is a special place right on the cusp of four distinct ecosystems including rainforest, riverine, wet sclerophyll and dry sclerophyll; making it the one stop shop for bird watching regardless of what time of day it is. Key birdwatching species include Lesser Sooty Owl, Double-eyed Fig-parrot, Noisy Pitta, Yellow-breasted Boatbill and Wompoo Fruit-Dove.

Birdwatching at Taylors Beach

With islands and fringing reef nearby, and mangroves easily accessible at low tide; Taylors Beach provides the avid bird watcher an avenue to seek those birds not commonly seen.

Key birdwatching species include Mangrove Robin, Osprey, Pied Oystercatcher, White-bellied Sea-eagle and Red-tailed Black Cockatoo.

Birdwatching at Mungalla Station

Mungalla has long been famous for the magnitude of birdlife residing in their wetlands.

Large numbers of Egrets, Ibis, Spoonbills, Magpie Geese, smaller waders and various ducks can be spotted as the wetlands dry and contract in the dry season.

birds Found within

the Hinchinbrook region

With over 380 bird species recorded throughout the year, Hinchinbrook is a birdwatcher’s mecca! Check out below the current reported bird species located within a 50-kilometre radius of Ingham.

CASSOWARY, EMU

Cassowary ***
Emu **

MOUND BUILDERS

Australian Brush-turkey ***
Orange-footed scrubfowl ***

QUAIL

Brown Quail ***
King Quail ***
Stubble Quail ***

INTRODUCED FOWL

Common Peacock ***

DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS

Australian Wood Duck *** Pacific Black Duck *** Pink Eared Duck ** Plumed Whistling-Duck *** Wandering Whistling-Duck *** Hardhead *** Mallard ** Rajah Shelduck ** Cotton pygmy-Goose *** Green pygmy-Goose *** Magpie Goose *** Garganey * Australasian Shoveler * Grey Teal *** Black Swan ***

GREBES

Great Crested Grebe ** Hoary-headed Grebe ** Australasian Grebe ***

DOVES, PIGEONS

Spotted Turtle-Dove ** Rock Dove *** Diamond Dove ** Peaceful Dove *** Bar-shouldered Dove *** Brown Cuckoo-Dove *** Superb Fruit-Dove *** Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove *** Wompoo Fruit-Dove *** Emerald Dove *** Topknot Pigeon *** White-headed Pigeon *** Common Bronzewing *** Crested Pigeon *** Squatter Pigeon *** Pied Imperial-Pigeon ***

FROGMOUTHS

Tawny Frogmouth ***

MARBLED FROGMOUTH

Papuan Frogmouth ***

OWLET-NIGHTJARS, NIGHTJARS

Australian Owlet-nightjar ***
White-throated Nightjar ***
Large-tailed Nightjar ***
Spotted Nightjar ***

SWIFTLETS, SWIFTS

Australian Swiftlet *** Fork-tailed Swift ** White-throated Needletail **

STORM-PETRELS

Wilson’s Storm-petrel *

PETRELS, SHEARWATERS, PRIONS

Wedge-tailed Shearwater **

TROPICBIRDS

Red-tailed Tropicbird *

FRIGATEBIRDS

Great Frigatebird **
Lesser Frigatebird **

BOOBIES

Masked Booby **
Red-footed Booby **
Brown Booby ***

DARTER, CORMORANTS

Australasian Darter ***
Great Cormorant **
Little Black Cormorant **
Pied Cormorant **
Little Pied Cormorant **

GREAT-BILLED HERON, STORK, PELICAN

Great-billed Heron ***
Black-necked Stork **
Australian Pelican **

HERONS, EGRETS, NIGHT HERON, BITTERNS

White-necked Heron ***
White-faced Heron ***
Pied Heron **
Eastern Reef Egret ***
Cattle Egret ***
Little Egret ***
Great Egret ***
Intermediate Egret ***
Nankeen Night Heron **
Australian Little Bittern ***
Striated Heron ***
Black Bittern ***

IBISES, SPOONBILLS

Glossy Ibis **
Straw-necked Ibis **
Australian White Ibis ***

ROYAL SPOONBILL

Yellow-billed Spoonbill **

OSPREYS, HAWKS, EAGLES, HARRIERS, FALCONS

Black-shouldered Kite ***
Letter-winged Kite **
Pacific Baza ***
Black Kite ***
Whistling Kite ***
Square-tailed Kite ***
Black-breasted Buzzard **
Red Goshawk ***
Collared Sparrowhawk ***
Brown Goshawk ***
Grey Goshawk ***
Brahminy Kite ***
Osprey ***
White-bellied Sea-Eagle ***
Little Eagle ***
Wedge-tailed Eagle ***
Spotted Harrier ***
Swamp Harrier **
Black Falcon ***
Brown Falcon ***
Nankeen Kestrel ***
Peregrine Falcon ***
Australian Hobby **
Grey Falcon *

CRANES

Sarus Crane **
Brolga ***

CRAKES, RAILS, WATERHENS, NATIVE- HENS

Red-necked Crake ***
Pale-vented Bush-hen ***
Buff-banded Rail ***
Lewin’s Rail **
Spotless Crake **
Australian Spotted Crake ***
Baillon’s Crake **
White-browed Crake ***
Dusky Moorhen ***
Purple Swamp-hen ***
Eurasian Coot ***
Black-tailed Native Hen *

BUSTARD, STONE CURLEWS

Australian Bustard **
Bush Stone-Curlew ***
Beach Stone-Curlew ***

PRATINCOLES

Australian Pratincole *
Oriental Pratincole **

BUTTON-QUAIL

Painted Button-quail ***
Red-chested Button-quail ***
Red-backed Button-quail ***

KINGFISHERS, KOOKABURRAS

Little Kingfisher ***
Azure Kingfisher ***
Laughing Kookaburra ***
Blue-winged Kookaburra ***
Forest Kingfisher ***
Sacred Kingfisher **
Collared Kingfisher **
Red-backed Kingfisher **
Buff-breasted Paradise- Kingfisher ***

OYSTERCATCHERS

Pied Oystercatcher ***
Sooty Oystercatcher *

STILTS, AVOCET

Black-winged Stilt ***
Red-necked Avocet **

PLOVERS, DOTTERELS, LAPWINGS

Pacific Golden Plover *
Grey Plover *
Red-capped Plover ***
Double-banded Plover **
Lesser Sand Plover **
Greater Sand Plover **
Oriental Plover **
Red-kneed Dotterel *
Black-fronted Dotterel *
Masked Lapwing ***
Banded Lapwing ***

JACANA, PAINTED SNIPE

Comb-crested Jacana ***
Painted Snipe ***

SNIPES, GODWITS, CURLEWS

Latham’s Snipe **
Bar-tailed Godwit **
Black-tailed Godwit **
Eastern Curlew **
Whimbrel **
Little Curlew **

LARGE SANDPIPERS

Marsh Sandpiper *
Wood Sandpiper *
Common Sandpiper **
Common Greenshank **
Terek Sandpiper *

TATTLERS, TURNSTONE, KNOTS, SANDERLING

Grey-tailed Tattler *
Wandering Tattler *
Ruddy Turnstone **
Red Knot **
Great Knot *
Sanderling **

STINTS, SMALLER SANDPIPERS

Red-necked Stint **
Long-toed Stint *
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper *
Pectoral Sandpiper *
Broad-billed Sandpiper *
Curlew Sandpiper **

NODDIES, TERNS, GULLS

Common Noddy ***
Black Noddy **
Sooty Tern ***
Bridled Tern ***
Little Tern **
Caspian Tern **
Gull-billed Tern **
Crested Tern ***
Lesser Crested Tern ***
Whiskered Tern **
White-winged Black Tern *
Roseate Tern ***
Black-naped Tern ***
Common Tern **
Silver Gull ***

COCKATOOS, CORELLAS, GALAH

Red-tailed black-Cockatoo ***
Galah **
Little Corella **
Sulphur-crested cockatoo ***

LORIKEETS, ROSELLAS, PARROTS

Rainbow Lorikeet ***
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet ***
Varied Lorikeet **
Little Lorikeet ***
Double-eyed Fig-Parrot ***
Australian King-Parrot ***
Red-winged Parrot ***
Cockatiel **
Crimson Rosella ***
Pale-headed Rosella ***
Budgerigar **

CUCKOOS, PHEASANT COUCAL

Eastern Koel ***
Channel-billed Cuckoo ***
Oriental Cuckoo **
Pallid Cuckoo ***
Fan-tailed Cuckoo ***
Brush Cuckoo ***
Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo ***
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo **
Little Bronze-Cuckoo ***
Gould’s Bronze-Cuckoo ***
Black-eared Cuckoo *
Pheasant Coucal ***

OWLS

Rufous Owl ***
Barking Owl ***
Southern Boobook ***
Lesser Sooty Owl ***
Barn Owl ***
Grass Owl ***
Masked Owl ***

BEE-EATER, DOLLARBIRD

Rainbow Bee-eater ***
Dollarbird ***

PITTAS

Noisy Pitta ***

TREECREEPERS

White-throated Treecreeper ***
Brown Treecreeper ***

BOWERBIRDS, CATBIRDS

Tooth-billed Bowerbird ***
Golden Bowerbird ***
Satin Bowerbird ***
Great Bowerbird ***
Spotted Catbird ***

FAIRY-WRENS

Lovely Fairy-wren ***
Red-backed Fairy-wren ***

SCRUBWRENS

White-browed Scrubwren ***
Yellow-throated Scrubwren ***
Fernwren ***
Large-billed Scrubwren ***

GERYGONES, THORNBILLS

Brown Gerygone ***
Large-billed Gerygone ***
Mangrove Gerygone ***
Fairy Gerygone ***
White-throated Gerygone ***
Mountain Thornbill ***
Buff-rumped Thornbill ***
Weebill ***

PARDALOTES

Spotted Pardalote ***
Striated Pardalote ***
Red-browed Pardalote ***

HONEYEATERS

Eastern Spinebill ***
Lewin’s Honeyeater ***
Yellow-spotted Honeyeater ***
Graceful Honeyeater ***
White-gaped Honeyeater ***
Bridled Honeyeater ***
Yellow-faced Honeyeater ***
Yellow Honeyeater ***
Singing Honeyeater ***
Varied Honeyeater ***
Mangrove Honeyeater ***
Fuscous Honeyeater ***
White-plumed Honeyeater *
White-cheeked Honeyeater ***
Brown-backed Honeyeater ***
Bar-breasted Honeyeater ***
Macleay’s Honeyeater **
Rufous-throated Honeyeater ***
Rufous-banded Honeyeater **
Banded Honeyeater ***
Painted Honeyeater *
Dusky Honeyeater ***
Scarlet Honeyeater ***
Brown Honeyeater ***
Black-chinned Honeyeater ***
White-throated Honeyeater ***
White-naped Honeyeater ***
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater ***
Striped Honeyeater ***
Blue-faced Honeyeater ***

FRIARBIRDS, MINERS, BABBLERS

Little Friarbird ***
Noisy Friarbird ***
Silver-crowned Friarbird *
Helmeted Friarbird **
Yellow-throated Miner **
Noisy Miner ***
Grey-crowned Babbler ***

WHIPBIRDS

Eastern Whipbird ***

VARIED SITELLA

Varied Sitella ***

CUCKOO-SHRIKES, CICADABIRD, TRILLERS

Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike ***
White-bellied Cuckoo- Shrike ***
Ground Cuckoo-Shrike ***
Barred Cuckoo-Shrike ***
Cicadabird ***
White-winged Triller ***
Varied Triller ***

SHRIKE-TITS

Crested Shrike-Tit ***

WHISTLERS, SHRIKE-THRUSHES

Grey Whistler ***
Golden Whistler ***
Mangrove Golden Whistler ***
Rufous Whistler ***
Grey Shrike-Thrush ***
Little Shrike-Thrush ***
Bower’s Shrike-Thrush ***

ORIOLES, FIGBIRD

Olive-backed Oriole ***
Yellow Oriole ***
Australian Figbird ***

WOODSWALLOWS

White-breasted Woodswallow ***
White-browed Woodswallow **
Masked Woodswallow **
Black-faced Woodswallow ***
Little Woodswallow **

BUTCHERBIRDS, MAGPIE, CURRAWONGS

Black Butcherbird ***
Grey Butcherbird ***
Pied Butcherbird ***
Australian Magpie ***
Pied Currawong ***

RAVENS, CROWS

Australian Raven ***
Torresian Crow ***

FANTAILS, WILLIE WAGTAIL

Rufous Fantail ***
Willie Wagtail ***
Grey Fantail ***
Northern Fantail ***

MONARCH FLYCATCHERS

Broad-billed Flycatcher ***
Leaden Flycatcher ***
Satin Flycatcher ***
Shining Flycatcher ***
Restless Flycatcher ***
White-eared Monarch ***
Pied Monarch ***
Black-faced Monarch ***
Spectacled Monarch ***

BOATBILL, MAGPIELARK

Yellow-breasted Boatbill ***
Magpie-lark ***

APOSTLEBIRD

Apostlebird ***

RIFLEBIRDS, DRONGO

Victoria’s Riflebird ***
Spangled Drongo ***

AUSTRALIAN ROBINS, SMALL FLYCATCHERS

Jacky Winter ***
Red-capped Robin **
Eastern Yellow Robin ***
Pale-yellow Robin ***
Hooded Robin ***
Mangrove Robin ***
White Browed Robin ***
Grey-headed Robin ***
Lemon-bellied flycatcher ***

CHOWCHILLA

Chowchilla ***

PIPIT, BUSHLARK

Australian Pipit ***
Singing Bushlark ***

CISTICOLAS

Golden-headed Cisticola ***
Zitting Cisticola **

REED-WARBLERS, GRASSBIRDS, SONGLARKS

Clamorous Reed-Warbler ***
Oriental Reed-Warbler *
Tawny Grassbird ***
Little Grassbird ***
Brown Songlark *
Rufous Songlark ***

WHITE-EYES

Silvereye ***

SWALLOWS, MARTINS

Welcome Swallow **
Tree Martin ***
Fairy Martin ***

THRUSHES

Bassian Thrush ***

STARLINGS, COMMON MYNA

Metallic Starling ***
Common Myna ***

SUNBIRD, MISTLETOEBIRD

Yellow-bellied Sunbird ***
Mistletoebird ***

GRASSFINCHES, MANNIKINS

Double-barred Finch ***
Masked Finch *
Black-throated Finch ***
Red-browed Finch ***
Crimson Finch ***
Zebra Finch ***
Blue-faced Parrot-Finch ***
Plum-headed Finch *
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin ***
Nutmeg Mannikin ***