Welcome to Cairns, Heart of Tropical North Queensland, where roughly 50% of Australia's bird species can be found. Today we begin our 5-day expedition by focusing on the tropical lowland rainforest, wetland and mangrove species found in the region. Our tour begins with a 6:30am pickup where we will explore the local birding hot spots of Cairns Esplanade, Centenary Lakes and Cattana Wetlands for shorebirds and lowland rainforest specialists such as the Sahul Sunbird, Varied Honeyeater, Beach Thick-knee, Green Oriole and various species of Knots, Sandpipers and Terns. After lunch we will drive north along one of Australia's most scenic coastal routes towards the famous Daintree River for a 2-hour sunset cruise along the saltwater section of the river, targeting the Azure Kingfisher, Large-billed Gerygone, White-bellied Sea Eagle and of course the Saltwater Crocodile, the world's largest species of crocodile. A short drive will take us back for the evening's meal and accommodation.
Day 2 begins with an early morning cruise in the freshwater section of the Daintree, targeting Great-billed Heron, Pale-vented Bush-hen and Shining Flycatcher. We will then begin our journey to the high-altitude rainforest of Mt Lewis for Fernwren, Blue-faced Parrot-finch and Golden Bowerbird before heading out to the dry savanna for Great Bowerbird, Blue-faced Honeyeater and an assortment of Australia's parrots such as the adorable Galah and Pale-headed Rosella. Our day will conclude in the small town of Yungaburra, where we will be based for the next 2 nights exploring the Atherton Tablelands.
Day 3 we will start the day birding in the scenic Crater Lakes National Park for such wonders as Victoria's Riflebird, Spotted Catbird, Pale-yellow Robin and Macleay's Honeyeater before moving on to the famous Mt Hypipamee, a small park which boasts some of the highest levels of biodiversity in Australia. Here we will target Grey-headed Robin, Golden Bowerbird and the colourful Wompoo Fruit-Dove. The afternoon will take us back out to the dry country on the western side of the Great Dividing Range, targeting Little Lorikeet, Eastern Spinebill and Eastern Shrike-tit. Tonight we will have an optional evening spotlight for Lesser Sooty Owl, Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo and various other nocturnal mammals of the region.
Day 4 Once again we will wake to the dawn chorus of the Crater Lakes National Park, where we will continue our exploration of the rainforest before heading to Hasties Swamp, a popular bird hide and a great place to see waterbirds such as Magpie Goose, various species of duck, grebe and heron. It is then off to Granite Gorge Nature Park in search of Grey-crowned Babbler, Double-barred Finch and the resident Mareeba Rock Wallabies, who will literally eat out of your hand. We will slowly make our way back to Cairns for the evening's accommodation, stopping at the mighty Barron Falls in Kuranda.
Day 5 Today we head south of Cairns to Etty Bay, well known for its resident Cassowaries that occasionally emerge from the jungle to patrol the beach. This can be something of a waiting game, so we have set aside the full day to maximise our chances of great views of this iconic bird. The rest of the day allows us to sweep for any key species we have missed, and our expedition concludes in the afternoon with drop-offs at your accommodation or the airport.
Expected species count: 150–180 species across five days, all 13–15 Wet Tropics endemics targeted.
| Habitat | Target species |
|---|---|
| Coastal & mangrove | Varied Honeyeater, Sahul Sunbird, Mangrove Robin, Beach Stone-Curlew, Pacific Baza, Rufous Owl, Papuan Frogmouth |
| Daintree saltwater | Black Bittern, Bush Stone-Curlew, Large-tailed Nightjar, Striated Heron, Estuarine Crocodile |
| Daintree freshwater | Great-billed Heron, Azure Kingfisher, Little Kingfisher, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Pacific Baza |
| Mt Lewis high-altitude | Fernwren, Atherton Scrubwren, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Mountain Thornbill, Bridled Honeyeater, Bower's Shrike-thrush |
| Atherton Tablelands | Golden Bowerbird, Victoria's Riflebird, Spotted Catbird, Macleay's Honeyeater, Pale-yellow Robin, Chowchilla, Grey-headed Robin, Sarus Crane, Brolga |
| Palmerston & Etty Bay | Topknot Pigeon, Pied Monarch, Yellow-spotted Honeyeater, Southern Cassowary |
Full details in our Terms & Conditions.
Maximum 5 guests. 20% deposit confirms your place — balance in two further payments before departure.
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