Bird Watching

Over 160 species of birds have been recorded at Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat, including almost all of the Wet Tropics endemic bird species. 

Rose Gums features a variety of habitats:  wet sclerophyll (Rose Gums), upland rainforest, acacia regrowth, rainforest streams, reforestation plots, grasslands and gardens. This diversity attracts an abundance of birdlife, including unique species such as the Blue-faced Parrot-finch, Victoria’s Riflebird, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, and many more. Comprehensive environmental information is available in the treehouses.

More bird watching information: Bird List & Speciality Birds.

Self-guided walks with detailed interpretative information are available in all houses. On a morning bird watch on the property, it is easy to spot at least 40 bird species. Within 50 kilometers of Rose Gums, you can see over 80 bird species in a day. Rose Gums is centrally located near all the top birding spots, making it an ideal base to explore this amazingly diverse region.

Australia has 726 bird species and three hundred of these, nearly half, have been recorded on the Atherton Tablelands, quite a significant number considering there are only 9,000 species of birds living on the earth.

Within a fifty kilometre radius of Tinaroo Dam (situated fifteen kilometres north-east of the township of Malanda) about five hundred bird species have been recorded, making this area without a doubt the premier bird site in Australia. Amongst these are some of Australia’s most spectacular parrots including the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Australian King Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Pale-headed Rosella and Red-winged Parrot.

The Atherton Tablelands (Cairns Highlands) has a strong tie with New Guinea as regards the flora and fauna. Many of the same bird species occur both in New Guinea and North Queensland such as the Southern Cassowary and Grey-headed Robin. Other birds migrate to North Queensland from New Guinea such as the Channel-billed Cuckoo, Dollarbird, Rainbow bee-eater and many more. Over 50% of the bird species recorded at Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat are also native to New Guinea.

Tablelands Birding Highlights

From Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat drive to: 

• Bromfield Swamp (20min): A unique volcanic crater with swamp land and home during the winter months to the Sarus Crane and the Brolga. Over 800 cranes fly into the crater in the evening after feeding in the nearby paddocks.
• Lake Eacham (10 min): A volcanic crater lake set in the Crater Lakes National Park. See Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and Grey-headed Robins.
• Hasties Swamp (30 min): Features a 2-storey bird hide with excellent interpretative signage. See Pink-eared Ducks, Grey Teal, Wandering Whistlers, Magpie Geese and Plumed Whistling-ducks. The bird list is over 220 species.
• Malanda Environmental Park (20 min):  A special piece of remnant rainforest where Tree Kangaroos still reside and Atherton Scrubwrens are often spotted.
• Mt Hypipamee (The Crater) NP (30 min): A mix of rainforest and wet sclerophyll. Look for the Southern Cassowary, Tree Kangaroo and Atherton Scrubwrens.
• Lake Barrine NP (15min): Rainforest Crater Lake 5km walking track around lake. Rainforest birds.
• Curtain Fig Tree State Forest Park (15min): Remnant rainforest with Tree Kangaroos and rainforest birds.
• Danbulla State Forest which includes Lake Tinaroo (20 min): Rainforest and monsoon eucalypt woodland. View water birds as the drive follows the lake’s perimeter. There are several walks ranging from 500 metres to 5 kilometres.
• Wongabel State Forest (30 min): A 2 kilometre rainforest walk just outside Atherton.
• Davies Creek Falls NP (60 min): Monsoon eucalypt woodland with a wide variety of dry country birds. Good walks.