Part Two: Selected Annotated Bird List
Orange-footed Scrubfowl
Common at Kingfisher Park and possibly Australia?s stupidest looking
bird, with a head that doesn?t seem big enough for its body. Most field
guides seem to compensate for this, drawing the head bigger than it
really is!
Australian Brush-turkey
Common in most rainforest, including Kingfisher Park and Curtain Fig
Tree, where they hassle you for food.
Wandering Whistling-Duck
Common on most large wetlands, such as Lake Mitchell, Mt Carbine Lake.
Plumed Whistling-Duck
As above and also large numbers at Cumberland Dam (x200), including
birds roosting in trees accounting for a previous name, Plumed
Whistling Tree-Duck.
Cotton Pygmy-goose
Only birds seen were on the western edge of Lake Mitchell.
Green Pygmy-goose
Common on most lakes, including Lake Mitchell, Mt Carbine Dam,
Cumberland Dam.
Great Crested Grebe
An uncommon bird for FNQ. Four birds seen at Mt Carbine Dam.
Great-billed Heron
Single bird seen while on Peter Cooper?s boat trip on the Mossman
River.
Black-necked Stork
Common on Norman River at Karumba and several birds at Lake Mitchell
near Mt Molloy.
Eastern Reef Egret (Dark Morph)
Several birds seen on the Cairns Esplanade.
Striated Heron
Birds seen along most mangrove edged rivers, including birds on Mossman
River.
Glossy Ibis
Surprisingly only a few birds observed, with birds seen in wetlands
between Normanton and Karumba.
Pacific Baza
A pair seen at Kingfisher Park. One afternoon these birds roosted in
the tree next to our campsite. A bird was also seen in Edmonton.
Brahminy Kite
Common along most waterways.
Square-tailed Kite
A pair nesting on the eastern edge of the football fields at Mt Molloy.
Black-breasted Buzzard
A single bird seen on the Gulf Development Road, 20 kilometres west of
Mt Surprise.
Osprey
A number of birds seen, including excellent views of a bird on Peter
Cooper?s boat trip on Mossman River. A bird was also seen flying down
the main drag of the Cairns Esplanade.
Sarus Crane
Two adult birds and one juvenile seen between Normanton and Karumba,
the same site this bird was first recorded in Australia in the mid-
1960.
Brolga
Very common on the road between Normanton and Karumba. Surprisingly no
birds were seen around Atherton, Cairns, etc.
Red-necked Crake
Single bird seen at dusk at the small dam in the south part of the
orchard at Kingfisher Park. We also heard a bird calling in the reeds
beside the campsite at Kingfisher Park. Both birds called once just
before dusk.
White-browed Crake
Single bird seen at Abattoir Swamp. The crake was seen feeding in the
short grass on the waters edge, immediately on your left, near the
closest collection of gums, as you look out from the bird hide.
Australian Bustard
Several birds were seen as they came into drink at Cumberland Dam, and
a large collection of birds on the roadside between Normanton and
Karumba.
Bush Stone-curlew
Nightly commonly heard (and seen) at most sites.
Latham?s Snipe
Up to twenty birds were seen at Mt Carbine Dam.
Bar-tailed Godwit
A couple of birds, looking distinctively like Asian Dowitcher, seen on
the Cairns Esplanade.
Common Sandpiper
Common on the Mossman River and the Norman River at Karumba.
Grey-tailed Tattler
Two birds seen near the mouth of the Mossman River.
Terek Sandpiper
Six birds seen at Karumba.
Great Knot
Single bird seen at Karumba
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Possible first year bird seen at Karumba.
Comb-crested Jacana
Common on most wetlands, including dams where you would think there was
not enough water to support such as bird, including the western dam at
Cumberland.
Pacific Golden Plover
Single bird seen on the Cairns Esplanade.
Grey Plover
Single bird at Karumba.
Lesser Sand Plover
Common at Karumba and on the Cairns Esplanade
Greater Sand Plover
As above, also a flock of 50+ birds seen at the mouth of Mossman River.
Australian Pratincole
Common on the roadside near Karumba and at Mt Carbine Dam.
Whiskered Tern
Several birds seen over wetland around Atherton.
Gull-billed Tern
Common at Cairns Esplanade and at Karumba.
Caspian Tern
Several birds seen on Cairns Esplanade.
Brown Cuckoo-dove
Common in rainforest at Kingfisher Park etc.
Topknot Pigeon
Common on Mt Lewis.
Emerald Dove
Common at Kingfisher Park.
Squatter Pigeon
Two birds came into drink at Cumberland Dam, and two birds seen at
Emerald Creek Falls Picnic Area.
Pied Imperial-Pigeon
Common around Cairns, Kingfisher Park and Mt Lewis etc.
Superb Fruit-Dove
Several birds heard at Kingfisher Park and Mt Lewis. None seen.
Wompoo Fruit-Dove
Excellent views of a bird at Kingfisher Park. Birds also heard at Mt
Lewis.
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
Birds seen at Big Mitchell Creek, Cumberland Dam and Karumba.
Double-eyed Fig-Parrot (race macleayana or Macleay?s Fig Parrot)
Birds seen commonly at a number of sites, including Cairns Esplanade,
Cairns Botanical Gardens, Kingfisher Park, and an excellent close
sighting of a bird at Cassowary House.
Red-winged Parrot
Birds commonly seen along the Gulf Development Rd.
Pale-headed Rosella (race adscitus or Blue-cheeked Rosella)
Several birds seen at Cumberland Dam and along the Gulf Development Rd.
Little Bronze-Cuckoo
Bird seen in the Mangroves at Karumba, with a number of other birds
heard at other sites in eastern FNQ.
Gould?s Bronze-Cuckoo
A number of birds heard and seen, including Kingfisher Park and good
views at the Curtain Fig Tree.
Barking Owl
Birds heard at Karumba and Kingfisher Park.
Papuan Frogmouth
Two birds seen near the beginning of the boardwalk (entering from the
south, in trees to the left of the ?third crick?) at Cairn Botanical
Gardens.
Large-tailed Nightjar
Two birds flushed in open woodland on Wessells Rd, south of Julatten on
the road to Mt Molloy. Looked like two large black butterflies, with
white on the outer tail feathers.
White-rumped Swiftlet
Commonly seen around Cairns etc.
Little Kingfisher
Single bird on Peter Cooper?s trip on the Mossman River.
Forest Kingfisher
Commonly seen on overhead wires around Cairns, Mossman, Mareeba, etc.
Red-backed Kingfisher
Commonly seen around Cumberland Dam and on the Gulf Development Rd.
Collared Kingfisher
Several birds seen on the Mossman River, and on the edge of the
mangroves at the northern edge of the Cairns Esplanade at low tide.
Sacred Kingfisher
Common on most rivers around Cairns and Mossman, and can be confused
with Collared Kingfisher, which shares mangrove habitat.
Blue-winged Kookaburra
Seen at a number of sites, such as Cumberland Dam.
Noisy Pitta
Birds seen at Kingfisher Park, with a number of birds heard at other
rainforest sites.
Brown Treecreeper (race melanota or Black Treecreeper)
A number of sites including Cumberland Dam.
White-throated Treecreeper (race minor or Little Treecreeper)
Seen at a number of sites, including Mt Lewis.
Lovely Fairy-wren
Seen at Daintree Village, on the hillside track approx 100 metres
behind the water tank.
Atherton Scrubwren
Commonly seen at Mt Lewis.
Fernwren
Several birds seen at Mt Lewis.
Yellow-throated Scrubwren
More common that above, at Mt Lewis.
Mangrove Gerygone (race levigaster)
Common in mangroves at Karumba.
Large-billed Gerygone (race cairnsensis)
Common at Kingfisher Park, and in mangroves around Mossman and Cairns.
Fairy Gerygone (both race personata or Black-throated Gerygone and race
flavida)
Common around Kingfisher Park, Atherton etc, including both races.
Yellow-throated Gerygone (race olivacea)
Common in open woodland area and waterways.
Mountain Thornbill
Common at Mt Lewis.
Macleay?s Honeyeater
Common at Kingfisher Park.
Yellow-spotted Honeyeater
Common around Cairns etc.
Graceful Honeyeater
As above.
Lewin?s Honeyeater (race lewinii)
As above, particularly around Atherton etc.
Bridled Honeyeater
Common at Mt Lewis.
White-gaped Honeyeater
A number of birds seen around Karumba.
Varied Honeyeater
Common on the Cairns Esplanade.
Yellow Honeyeater
Common around Cairns etc.
Grey-fronted Honeyeater
A number of birds seen at Cumberland Dam.
Yellow-tinted Honeyeater (race flavescens)
Common at Cumberland Dam and around Karumba.
Brown Honeyeater
Generally the most common honeyeater.
Brown-backed Honeyeater
Common.
Rufous-throated Honeyeater
Most common honeyeater at Cumberland Dam and Karumba.
White-cheeked Honeyeater (race nigra)
Mod. common around Cairns.
White-throated Honeyeater
Common around Cairns etc.
Scarlet Honeyeater
Common around watercourses, particularly Emerald Creek Falls.
Red-headed Honeyeater (race erythrocephala)
Common in the mangrove at Karumba, linked to flowering mangrove.
Dusky Honeyeater (race harterti)
Common at Kingfisher Park, Daintree, etc.
Yellow-bellied Sunbird
Common in towns, tea-tree and coastal woodlands.
Grey Headed Robin
Common on Mt Lewis.
White-browed Robin (race superciliosa)
Single bird seen at Big Mitchell Creek.
Mangrove Robin
Birds seen at several sites, including Mossman River, Karumba and the
mangroves at the north end of the Cairns Esplanade. This bird responds
well to a single/or double note whistle, imitating its call.
Pale-yellow Robin (race nana)
Common at Kingfisher Park, Mt Lewis.
Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (race laetissima)
Common in open woodlands at Big Mitchell Creek.
Chowchilla
Common at Mt Lewis.
Grey-crowned Babbler
A number of birds seen in open woodland areas, and at Cumberland Dam.
Grey Whistler (race peninsulae)
A number of birds seen at Kingfisher Park and Mt Lewis.
White-breasted Whistler (race fretorum)
Moderately common in the mangroves at Karumba.
Little Shrike-thrush (race rufogaster)
Common at Kingfisher Park.
Bower?s Shrike-thrush
A number of birds seen, including Mt Lewis.
Spectacled Monarch (race gouldii)
Common at Kingfisher Park, Mt Lewis, etc.
Pied Monarch
Single bird seen at Curtain Fig Tree, Yungaburra.
Yellow-breasted Boatbill (race secundus)
Several birds seen at Curtain Fig Tree, Yungaburra.
Broad-billed Flycatcher
Several birds seen in mangroves at Karumba
Leaden Flycatcher (race rubecula)
Common in woodland areas around Cairns etc.
Shining Flycatcher (race wardelli)
Seen on the Mossman River and in mangroves near Cairns Crocodile Farm.
This bird responds particularly well to pishing.
Restless Flycatcher (race nana)
Single birds heard and seen at a number of sites, including Cumberland
Dam.
Rufous Fantail (race intermedia)
Several birds seen at Mt Lewis.
Mangrove Grey Fantail
Several birds seen at Karumba.
Northern Fantail (race isura)
Seen at only one site, in dry open woodlands at the end of Wessells Rd.
Uncommon. My feeling is that this species is over-recorded, with
observers misidentifying the Grey as a Northern, particularly in
rainforest areas.
Ground Cuckoo-shrike
Birds seen regularly along the Gulf Development Road. This is
particularly hard to pin down.
Black Butcherbird (race rufescens)
Commonly seen around Cairns and Mossman etc.
Victoria?s Riflebird
Seen on several occasions at Mt Lewis.
Spotted Catbird (race maculosis)
Several birds seen at Mt Lewis.
Golden Bowerbird
Seen at Mt Lewis.
Tooth-billed Bowerbird
Common at Mt Lewis and the Curtain Fig Tree.
Great Bowerbird
Birds seen at Cumberland Dam, Normanton, Karumba etc, with bowers at
most dry areas, including in town gardens.
Double-barred Finch (race bichenovii)
Common at Karumba etc.
Black-throated Finch (race athropygialis)
Common at Cumberland Dam, including nesting birds.
Masked Finch (race leacotis)
Common at Cumberland Dam.
Crimson Finch (black-bellied eastern race phaeton)
Several birds seen at Thomsons Rd., near Edmonton.
Plum-headed Finch
Single bird seen at Cumberland Dam.
Nutmeg Mannikin (Spice Finch)
Common around Cairns, including the Cairns Esplanade.
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Seen at a number of sites including Mt Molloy, Cumberland Dam and
Karumba.
Star Finch (race ruficauda)
Four birds seen at Karumba
Tawny Grassbird
Several birds seen in grassland behind mangroves at Karumba.
Zitting Cisticola
Several birds seen in grassland behind mangroves at Karumba.
Yellow White-eye
Common in mangroves at Karumba.
Metallic Starling
Common around Cairns and at Kingfisher House etc.
Tim Dolby
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