10 – 19 SEPTEMBER 2025
By Andrew Walker
The stunning Purple-crowned Fairywren was a huge tour highlight.
Overview
This Australia birding tour started in Darwin, Northern Territory on the 10th of September 2025 and ended back there on the 19th of October 2025. This Northern Territory birding tour visited some of the best birding sites in Australia’s Top End region, and included birding at Lee Point, Buffalo Creek, George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, East Point Reserve, Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve, Point Stuart Wilderness Lodge area, Mary River Wetlands, Kakadu National Park, Pine Creek, Katherine, Victoria River, and Timber Creek.
Birding around the Top End of the Northern Territory resulted in many excellent birds, in fact we recorded 201 species during the tour (two of these were heard only). Take a look at our eBird trip report, here. Species lists for birds, mammals, and reptiles recorded during this Australian bird tour follow the daily account, below.
Some of the highlight birds seen on this Top End bird tour included regional specials such as Chestnut Rail, Radjah Shelduck, Rufous Owl, Black-banded Fruit Dove, Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon, White-quilled Rock Pigeon, Partridge Pigeon, Red-backed Buttonquail, Black-necked Stork, Pied Heron, Hooded Parrot, Northern Rosella, Red-collared Lorikeet, Varied Lorikeet, Cockatiel, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Red-backed Kingfisher, Rainbow Pitta, Purple-crowned Fairywren, Black-tailed Treecreeper, Great Bowerbird, Bar-breasted Honeyeater, White-lined Honeyeater, Red-headed Myzomela, Arafura Fantail, Sandstone Shrikethrush, Silver-backed Butcherbird, Mangrove Golden Whistler, Paperbark Flycatcher, Broad-billed Flycatcher, Buff-sided Robin, Canary White-eye, Green-backed Gerygone, Mangrove Gerygone, Yellow-rumped Mannikin, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin, Star Finch, Crimson Finch, Masked Finch, Long-tailed Finch, and Gouldian Finch.
Rainbow Pitta was an early highlight on this Northern Territory Top End birding tour.
In addition to the great special birds of the Northern Territory Top End, we also recorded a long list of some exciting wide-ranging Australian birds, such as Magpie Goose, Plumed Whistling Duck, Green Pygmy Goose, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Brolga, Australian Bustard, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Rose-crowned Fruit Dove, Diamond Dove, Royal Spoonbill, Black-breasted Buzzard, Pacific Baza, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Spotted Harrier, Barking Owl, Forest Kingfisher, Torresian Kingfisher, Azure Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Red-winged Parrot, Rufous-banded Honeyeater, Rufous-throated Honeyeater, White-gaped Honeyeater, Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, Banded Honeyeater, Silver-crowned Friarbird, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Grey-crowned Babbler, Black Butcherbird, Varied (White-winged) Sittella, Varied Triller, Green Oriole, Northern Fantail, Apostlebird, Lemon-bellied Flyrobin, and Mangrove Robin.
Rufous-banded Honeyeater was one of many species of honeyeater that gave us some great views during the tour.
In addition to the incredible birds seen, this Top End birding tour also proved great for crocodile sightings, with many huge Saltwater Crocodiles and several Australian Freshwater Crocodiles seen from land and from our boat trip in the Mary River Wetlands. Rather cute Agile Wallabies were seen almost daily, impressive views of flying foxes were a highlight, and sightings of several interesting reptiles were enjoyed too.
Furthermore, this tour visited some of the most beautiful and interesting landscapes in the whole of Australia and included viewing the magical, ancient rock art dating back many years. Everything combined for a fun, thoroughly enjoyable, and interesting bird-filled birdwatching tour of the Northern Territory.
Detailed Report
Day 1, 10th September 2025. Arrival in Darwin and birding at Buffalo Creek
We met at lunchtime after early arrivals in Darwin (following successful tours in Fiji and Samoa and New Caledonia) and discussed what we were hoping to see on this thrilling Australian birding tour of the Top End, Northern Territory. As all clients had already completed our Tasmania and Eastern Australian (from the Outback to the Wet Tropics) birding tours in 2023, everyone was excited to reunite and for what this part of Australia would offer us in terms of wonderful birds and incredible wildlife (and a lot more laughs along the way).
Our first group birding session saw us checking out the Buffalo Creek area, not far out of Darwin city. Amazingly we pulled out of our hotel, commenced our journey, looked out of the window and saw a Rainbow Pitta foraging on the side of the road! Possibly the easiest pitta in the world to see, it was just hopping around right in the open. An incredible start to our tour.
Chestnut Rail came right out into the open to bathe on the incoming tide and showed nicely.
On arriving at Buffalo Creek we headed straight into the mangroves ahead of the incoming tide. A quick scramble into position had us watching a pair of stunning Chestnut Rails that were also feeding out in the open, incredibly good (and quickly found) views of a most wanted species – our luck was definitely in with these two quick fire quality birds. We then spent some time birding in and around the mangroves and nearby beach. As this was our first birding in the region we added lots of new and exciting species, such as Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Australasian Darter, Little Bronze Cuckoo, Red-collared Lorikeet, Rainbow Bee-eater, White-gaped Honeyeater, Rufous-banded Honeyeater, Red-headed Myzomela, and Canary White-eye.
The tide was rapidly coming in and so we focused our attention on the shorebirds. There were lots of birds but they were getting flushed all over the place by people fishing, playing, and walking dogs, which was rather unfortunate, especially given how tired these birds must have been after their long migrations from their northern breeding grounds. The main numbers were made up by Great Knot, Greater Sand Plover, and Siberian Sand Plover, with moderate numbers of Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, and Red-capped Plover. Species also noted, but in smaller numbers, included Terek Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Far Eastern Curlew, Eurasian Whimbrel, Grey Plover, and Pied Oystercatcher. Both Greater and Lesser Crested Terns were patrolling the coast, along with Silver Gulls, and Australian Pelicans were also seen. Black Kites were ever present (and would be for the whole tour), and careful scanning gave us sightings of Brahminy Kite, Whistling Kite, and White-bellied Sea Eagle. A distant small flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos was noted flying over too.
We finished up at nearby Lee Point enjoying a wonderful sunset followed by a nice dinner and a welcome catch up on sleep, though a pair of vocal Bush Stone-curlews tried their best to keep us awake!
Day 2, 11th September 2025. Birding the Darwin area
An early start today saw us arriving back at Buffalo Creek at dawn, where we enjoyed a nice showing from a vocal Large-tailed Nightjar. We again saw Rainbow Pitta and added several passerines to our lists, such as Arafura Fantail and Green-backed Gerygone. We spent some time watching the thousands of shorebirds seen yesterday, but at a much closer distance and without the constant disturbance. It was a treat to work through them all with some birds still holding on to a decent amount of their breeding plumage, e.g. Great Knot, Siberian Sand Plover, and Red Knot. A few Little Terns and Whiskered Terns flew into the shorebird roost too.
After breakfast back at our hotel we moved over to some nearby monsoon forest where, in addition to hundreds of Black Kites, we found a pair of beautiful Barking Owls which eventually gave some good views. Here we saw Rose-crowned Fruit Dove, Nankeen Night Heron, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Varied Lorikeet, Forest Kingfisher, Red-backed Fairywren, Torresian Crow, Golden-headed Cisticola, Crimson Finch, and Double-barred Finch.
In the late morning we dropped into Darwin Botanic Gardens, where a short walk gave us a sighting of a recently fledged Rufous Owl, along with Radjah Shelduck, Red-collared Lorikeet, Black Butcherbird, Little Friarbird, Helmeted Friarbird, Blue-faced Honeyeater, and some showy Rainbow Bee-eaters. After lunch we headed back to our hotel for a short siesta.
Our afternoon birding session saw us exploring the East Point Reserve area and it was wonderful. We enjoyed a bird-filled walk through the mangroves, where we connected with Torresian Kingfisher, Mangrove Gerygone, Mangrove Golden Whistler, Mangrove Robin, Shining Flycatcher, Broad-billed Flycatcher, and Canary White-eye. We then checked the rocky coast to look for roosting shorebirds, and we added several new species for our trip and improved views of some others, such as Pacific Reef Heron, Little Heron, Pacific Golden Plover, Grey-tailed Tattler, Terek Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, and Curlew Sandpiper. As dusk came we saw several pairs of Bush Stone-curlews waking up for a night of feeding and screaming at each other! Another Barking Owl was also waking up and announcing its presence. The sunset was again rather special too.
The striking Mangrove Golden Whistler showed very nicely.
Day 3, 12th September 2025. Darwin to Point Stuart Wilderness and Mary River areas
A short pre-breakfast walk near our hotel in Darwin provided us with a few new birds, such as Red-winged Parrot, Galah, Little Corella, Great Bowerbird (a female building a nest), Bar-breasted Honeyeater, Striated Pardalote, White-bellied Cuckooshrike, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, White-breasted Woodswallow, Tree Martin, Masked Finch, and Chestnut-breasted Mannikin.
After breakfast, we left Darwin behind until the end of the tour. We then drove east to Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve, and along the way we noted Oriental Dollarbird and Nankeen Kestrel. We spent the rest of the morning birding at Fogg Dam. Birding at Fogg Dam always turns up some interesting species and today we found lots of birds in the wetland and forest, with some of the highlights including Magpie Goose, Radjah Shelduck, Wandering Whistling Duck, Brolga, White-necked Heron, Pied Heron, Great Egret, Plumed Egret, Little Egret, Eastern Cattle Egret, Royal Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Comb-crested Jacana, Rose-crowned Fruit Dove, Sahul Bush Cuckoo, Azure Kingfisher, Grey (Brown) Whistler, Lemon-bellied Flyrobin, Arafura Fantail, Paperbark Flycatcher, Broad-billed Flycatcher, Shining Flycatcher, Dusky Myzomela, and Willie Wagtail.
After lunch, with the temperature soaring, we continued our journey to Point Stuart Wilderness Lodge area. Several Brown Falcons were seen along the road, and a fortuitous stop yielded a couple of Black-tailed Treecreepers, along with several Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. Once we had checked into our accommodation, we had a short walk before dusk, where we saw three more Rainbow Pittas! A few other species were noted on our relaxed walk, including Orange-footed Scrubfowl (with several of their huge nest mounds noted), Blue-winged Kookaburra, Arafura Fantail, Northern Fantail, Shining Flycatcher, and a very brief, flighty Arafura Shrikethrush.
Day 4, 13th September 2025. Mary River to Kakadu National Park
We enjoyed an early morning boat trip in the Mary River Wetlands. The boat trip was an excellent way to observe a wide range of waterbirds and we also had close views of both Saltwater Crocodile and Australian Freshwater Crocodile. During the boat trip, we saw the following great birds: Radjah Shelduck, Wandering Whistling Duck, Green Pygmy Goose, Magpie Goose, Great-billed Heron, Pied Heron, Plumed Egret, Comb-crested Jacana, Glossy Ibis, Australasian Darter, Black-necked Stork, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Sacred Kingfisher, Azure Kingfisher, Paperbark Flycatcher, and Sahul Brush Cuckoo.
Comb-crested Jacana gave us some excellent close views.
We then drove towards Kakadu National Park, picking up Black-breasted Buzzard, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Falcon, and Nankeen Kestrel along the way. Stopping at a wetland briefly, we saw more waterbirds seen earlier in the day along with Long-tailed Finch and Masked Finch.
In the late afternoon we visited a viewpoint of the highly impressive Nourlangie Rock in Kakadu National Park. It was a tough hike but worth it for the incredible view. Seeing a pair of White-lined Honeyeaters and a Great Bowerbird were nice bonuses.
The localized White-lined Honeyeater showed well after a bit of a hike.
In the late afternoon, we explored a billabong (wetland) and got to watch an interesting mix of species. Little Corellas were numerous (and noisy), but we also had a flock of majestic Red-tailed Black Cockatoos coming down to drink from the edge of the lake. Several species of ducks were present and included Plumed Whistling Duck, Wandering Whistling Duck, Pacific Black Duck, and Green Pygmy Goose. Magpie Geese were also present in moderate numbers, always nice to see. Numerous herons, egrets, and ibis were present and showing well, as was a Royal Spoonbill and Black-necked Stork. Several Agile Wallabies were also coming out into the open to forage. Collared Sparrowhawk and Grey-crowned Babbler were also both seen briefly.
There are plenty of crocodiles in the Northern Territory, such as this Saltwater Crocodile that gave some great views from our early morning boat trip.
Day 5, 14th September 2025. Birding Kakadu National Park
After breakfast we started exploring Kakadu National Park. As soon as we exited the vehicle we could hear the raucous calls of Channel-billed Cuckoos screaming overhead, but they flew off before we could get proper views. As we entered some stunning rocky landscape we quickly found one of our main targets, a pair of Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeons sat very camouflaged in their rocky habitat. We then spent some more time looking for the Channel-billed Cuckoos and got some better views of at least three birds. We also heard Pheasant Coucal and saw our first Diamond Doves of the tour.
We moved locations and spent some time exploring some fascinating rock art and birding as we went. Here we found two more pairs of Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeons (with much closer views) and also enjoyed great looks at Forest Kingfisher, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Little Corella, Leaden Flycatcher, Paperbark Flycatcher, Rufous Whistler, and more. A stop at a famous river crossing gave us further looks at Saltwater Crocodiles, and these were big ones!
Around town we improved our views of Black-breasted Buzzard, with a pair giving a few close flybys and these were quickly followed by a sighting of half a dozen Partridge Pigeons. Sensibly, they were sat in the shade and showed nicely. We also decided that sitting out the heat of the middle day was sensible, so did the same!
Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon gave us very good views.
In the late afternoon, we went to a gorgeous lookout to admire the ancient rock art and saw a few more good birds too! It was a great way to end the day with sightings of several Black-banded Fruit Doves, another brief sighting of White-lined Honeyeaters, an incredible observation of a male Brown Goshawk catching a lizard, and a distant and vocal Sandstone Shrikethrush. We followed this with another excellent meal in town.
Day 6, 15th September 2025. Kakadu National Park to Katherine
We spent the morning driving out of Kakadu National Park across to Pine Creek, then south to the town of Katherine. We made several short birding stops along the way and each of these yielded something different from new birds, better views of previously seen birds, or some new scenic views (and included some rather impressive and huge termite mounds).
We enjoyed a relaxed breakfast in Jabiru, where we noted an Australian Hobby on a tower and this was followed by another sighting of a couple of Partridge Pigeons (one in town, one out of town). Driving through the national park we saw another Australian Hobby, along with our first Pied Butcherbirds and Yellow-throated Miners of the trip. A few parrots were noted flying through, and these included Cockatiel, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Red-collared Lorikeet, and Varied Lorikeet.
Our first scheduled birding stop quickly got us our main target, the cute and localized Buff-sided Robin and nearby we also saw another Black-breasted Buzzard, this one on a nest. Here we also enjoyed a sighting of a Papuan (Greater Black) Whipsnake.
We found the secretive Buff-sided Robin along a densely vegetated stream.
Another couple of brief stops on the edge of the national park produced Nankeen Kestrel, Brown Falcon, Silver-backed Butcherbird, Silver-crowned Friarbird, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Red-winged Parrot, plenty of Yellow-throated Miners, Great Bowerbird, and a heavily molting Little Eagle. Our traditional stop at Pine Creek gave us our hoped for Hooded Parrots, with a flock of around 20 birds loafing in the shade of a tree. Other birds noted on the drive included Wedge-tailed Eagle, Black-necked Stork, and White-breasted, Little, and Black-faced Woodswallows. A huge roost of Black Flying Foxes was also seen.
We had some good views of Hooded Parrots as they sought shelter during the heat of the day.
After sitting out the heat of the day at our hotel in Katherine, after a very nice café lunch, we commenced birding in the late afternoon. A drive around town gave us opportunities for several new trip birds, the highlight being a group of three Australian Bustards. Other new species included Black-fronted Dotterel, Wood Sandpiper, Crested Pigeon, Common Bronzewing, Fairy Martin, and Rufous-throated Honeyeater.
Day 7, 16th September 2025. Birding Katherine to Victoria River
After an early breakfast we drove into some woodland near Katherine, noting a couple of groups of Apostlebirds along the way. On arrival at our birding site, we started our walk, picking up lots of birds. We found several new species for our trip, such as Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, Black-chinned (Golden-backed) Honeyeater, Banded Honeyeater, Jacky Winter, Black-faced Woodswallow, White-throated Gerygone, Weebill, Varied (White-winged) Sittella, Grey Shrikethrush, and Red-backed Kingfisher. We also improved our views of Black-tailed Treecreeper, Cockatiel, Varied Lorikeet, White-winged Triller, and Striated Pardalote. Unfortunately Northern Shriketit remained heard only after a pair of Brown Goshawks flew into the area they were calling from and all went quiet!
After an early lunch we drove across to Victoria River Roadhouse at Gregory, where we arrived in the early afternoon and enjoyed watching a Great Bowerbird at its bower. The eucalyptus trees around the accommodation were full of noisy Red-collared Lorikeets and Blue-faced Honeyeaters.
After a short siesta we headed out into the nearby area, where we were successful in our pursuit of Purple-crowned Fairywren. We found two family groups of this stunning species (see cover image) with adult males, younger males, and females/female-type birds all present and showing very well. Several other species were noted in the area, but most of our time and focus was given to the fairywrens! We also had great views of Fairy Martin, Crimson Finch, Rainbow Bee-eater, and plenty more Agile Wallabies.
The gorgeous Purple-crowned Fairywren put on a nice show for us.
Day 8, 17th September 2025. Birding Victoria River and Timber Creek
During a pre-breakfast birding session, some of the group hiked up the nearby escarpment and got some brief views of White-quilled Rock Pigeon (as well as a beautiful view of the gorge below). The other part of the group checked out a nearby waterhole and were rewarded with a sighting of a flock of Northern Rosellas. Both groups had further sightings of the common regional birds we had become familiar with over the previous week.
After breakfast we started our drive towards Timber Creek. We stopped at a few river crossings to look for any water and attendant birds and, while we didn’t find much water, we did have a brief sighting of a stunning adult male Gouldian Finch, with additional sightings of Masked Finches and Long-tailed Finches. Walking around the dry riverbeds we found Diamond Dove, Little Woodswallow, Black-faced Woodswallow, Red-browed Pardalote, Rufous-throated Honeyeater, White-winged Triller, and Jacky Winter,to name a few of the more exciting birds.
After a siesta during the hot part in the middle of the day, we headed out around Timber Creek for some more late afternoon birding. We found several groups of Masked, Long-tailed, Crimson, and Double-barred Finches as well as several Diamond Doves, however the highlight bird was a stunning male Spotted Harrier that flew below us while we were stood on a bridge – great views. We also spent some time admiring an interesting Great Bowerbird bower, which was fascinating, especially the fish scales being used in the display arena! Additional sightings of Purple-crowned Fairywrens were also welcome.
Day 9, 18th September 2025. Birding Timber Creek to Katherine
We spent the early morning birding around Timber Creek where we connected with our two main targets, Star Finch and Yellow-rumped Mannikin. Both gave some nice views in the dawn light.
Star Finches were soaking up the early morning sun!
Our target finches were leaving their roost site, along with Crimson Finch, Double-barred Finch, and Chestnut-breasted Mannikin and were giving occasional great views perched up in the tall grass. Their presence hadn’t gone unnoticed however, as a Brown Goshawk was making the occasional attempt for a finch breakfast!
Yellow-rumped Mannikins were found in the mixed species finch flock.
Satisfied with our sightings, we had a late breakfast and commenced the journey back to Katherine, arriving for a late lunch and a short siesta after checking into our comfortable hotel. During the drive to Katherine we saw several flocks of Cockatiels and a brief roadside stop gave us sightings of Weebill, Masked Finch, and Long-tailed Finch. We also had a Blue-winged Kookaburra fly in and land in a tree at very close range, allowing incredible views of this huge kingfisher.
In the late afternoon we took a walk through some woodland near Katherine, where we found a small group of Red-backed Buttonquails, a party of four foraging Hooded Parrots, and a mixed flock of finches, containing Gouldian Finch, Masked Finch, and Long-tailed Finch, all of which was quite exciting. A few Black-tailed Treecreepers were noted, as were Cockatiel, Red-winged Parrot, Varied (White-winged) Sittella, Striated Pardalote, White-winged Triller, Banded Honeyeater, and more. We finished up the day with a wonderful dinner in Katherine.
Black-tailed Treecreeper was a highlight of birding in the Top End of the Northern Territory.
Day 10, 19th October 2025. Katherine to Darwin and tour conclusion
We had a final morning birding session at some sites between Katherine and Pine Creek, where we added a couple of final trip birds, finding Australasian Grebe and Grey Teal in a water treatment plant. Near Katherine we had a brief look at a small gathering of Apostlebirds, and a stop at a river that was surprisingly full of water and there weren’t as many birds as we hoped, with some Hooded Parrots just flying over the site rather than stopping for a drink (another pesky Brown Goshawk was looking for a snack and disturbing the few birds present too). However, a walk around a campsite gave us some nice species and some good views too, including our best views of Galah, Oriental Dollarbird, and Olive-backed Oriole.
Once we had finished up our birding session we drove north to Darwin, where this exciting tour finished in the middle of the afternoon. We all flew to Alice Springs to start our next tour together.
Bird List – Following IOC (15.1)
Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, all other species were seen. The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International: EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable.
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Magpie Goose (Anseranatidae) | |
| Magpie Goose | Anseranas semipalmata |
| Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae) | |
| Plumed Whistling Duck | Dendrocygna eytoni |
| Wandering Whistling Duck | Dendrocygna arcuata |
| Radjah Shelduck | Radjah radjah |
| Green Pygmy Goose | Nettapus pulchellus |
| Pacific Black Duck | Anas superciliosa |
| Grey Teal | Anas gracilis |
| Megapodes (Megapodiidae) | |
| Orange-footed Scrubfowl | Megapodius reinwardt |
| Nightjars (Caprimulgidae) | |
| Large-tailed Nightjar | Caprimulgus macrurus |
| Bustards (Otididae) | |
| Australian Bustard | Ardeotis australis |
| Cuckoos (Cuculidae) | |
| Pheasant Coucal | Centropus phasianinus |
| Channel-billed Cuckoo | Scythrops novaehollandiae |
| Little Bronze Cuckoo | Chalcites minutillus |
| Sahul Brush Cuckoo | Cacomantis variolosus |
| Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae) | |
| Pacific Emerald Dove | Chalcophaps longirostris |
| Common Bronzewing | Phaps chalcoptera |
| Crested Pigeon | Ocyphaps lophotes |
| Partridge Pigeon | Geophaps smithii |
| Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon | Petrophassa rufipennis |
| White-quilled Rock Pigeon | Petrophassa albipennis |
| Diamond Dove | Geopelia cuneata |
| Peaceful Dove | Geopelia placida |
| Bar-shouldered Dove | Geopelia humeralis |
| Black-banded Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus alligator |
| Rose-crowned Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus regina |
| Torresian Imperial Pigeon | Ducula spilorrhoa |
| Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae) | |
| Chestnut Rail | Eulabeornis castaneoventris |
| Australasian Swamphen | Porphyrio melanotus |
| White-browed Crake (H) | Poliolimnas cinereus |
| Cranes (Gruidae) | |
| Brolga | Antigone rubicunda |
| Grebes (Podicipedidae) | |
| Australasian Grebe | Tachybaptus novaehollandiae |
| Buttonquail (Turnicidae) | |
| Red-backed Buttonquail | Turnix maculosus |
| Stone-curlews, Thick-knees (Burhinidae) | |
| Bush Stone-curlew | Burhinus grallarius |
| Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae) | |
| Pied Oystercatcher | Haematopus longirostris |
| Stilts, Avocets (Recurvirostridae) | |
| Pied Stilt | Himantopus leucocephalus |
| Plovers (Charadriidae) | |
| Grey Plover VU | Pluvialis squatarola |
| Pacific Golden Plover | Pluvialis fulva |
| Black-fronted Dotterel | Charadrius melanops |
| Masked Lapwing | Vanellus miles |
| Siberian Sand Plover | Anarhynchus mongolus |
| Greater Sand Plover | Anarhynchus leschenaultii |
| Red-capped Plover | Anarhynchus ruficapillus |
| Jacanas (Jacanidae) | |
| Comb-crested Jacana | Irediparra gallinacea |
| Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae) | |
| Eurasian Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus |
| Far Eastern Curlew – EN | Numenius madagascariensis |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica |
| Terek Sandpiper | Xenus cinereus |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos |
| Grey-tailed Tattler | Tringa brevipes |
| Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres |
| Great Knot – EN | Calidris tenuirostris |
| Red Knot | Calidris canutus |
| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – VU | Calidris acuminata |
| Curlew Sandpiper – VU | Calidris ferruginea |
| Red-necked Stint | Calidris ruficollis |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba |
| Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae) | |
| Little Tern | Sternula albifrons |
| Australian Tern | Gelochelidon macrotarsa |
| Whiskered Tern | Chlidonias hybrida |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo |
| Lesser Crested Tern | Thalasseus bengalensis |
| Greater Crested Tern | Thalasseus bergii |
| Silver Gull | Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae |
| Storks (Ciconiidae) | |
| Black-necked Stork | Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus |
| Anhingas, Darters (Anhingidae) | |
| Australasian Darter | Anhinga novaehollandiae |
| Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) | |
| Little Pied Cormorant | Microcarbo melanoleucos |
| Little Black Cormorant | Phalacrocorax sulcirostris |
| Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) | |
| Australian White Ibis | Threskiornis molucca |
| Straw-necked Ibis | Threskiornis spinicollis |
| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus |
| Royal Spoonbill | Platalea regia |
| Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae) | |
| Nankeen Night Heron | Nycticorax caledonicus |
| Pacific Reef Heron | Egretta sacra |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta |
| Pied Heron | Egretta picata |
| White-faced Heron | Egretta novaehollandiae |
| Little Heron | Butorides atricapilla |
| White-necked Heron | Ardea pacifica |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba |
| Plumed Egret | Ardea plumifera |
| Eastern Cattle Egret | Ardea coromanda |
| Great-billed Heron | Ardea sumatrana |
| Pelicans (Pelecanidae) | |
| Australian Pelican | Pelecanus conspicillatus |
| Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae) | |
| Black-shouldered Kite | Elanus axillaris |
| Pacific Baza | Aviceda subcristata |
| Black-breasted Buzzard | Hamirostra melanosternon |
| Little Eagle | Hieraaetus morphnoides |
| Wedge-tailed Eagle | Aquila audax |
| Collared Sparrowhawk | Tachyspiza cirrocephala |
| Brown Goshawk | Tachyspiza fasciata |
| Spotted Harrier | Circus assimilis |
| Swamp Harrier | Circus approximans |
| Black Kite | Milvus migrans |
| Brahminy Kite | Haliastur indus |
| Whistling Kite | Haliastur sphenurus |
| White-bellied Sea Eagle | Icthyophaga leucogaster |
| Owls (Strigidae) | |
| Rufous Owl | Ninox rufa |
| Barking Owl | Ninox connivens |
| Rollers (Coraciidae) | |
| Oriental Dollarbird | Eurystomus orientalis |
| Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) | |
| Blue-winged Kookaburra | Dacelo leachii |
| Forest Kingfisher | Todiramphus macleayii |
| Torresian Kingfisher | Todiramphus sordidus |
| Sacred Kingfisher | Todiramphus sanctus |
| Red-backed Kingfisher | Todiramphus pyrrhopygius |
| Azure Kingfisher | Ceyx azureus |
| Bee-eaters (Meropidae) | |
| Rainbow Bee-eater | Merops ornatus |
| Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae) | |
| Nankeen Kestrel | Falco cenchroides |
| Australian Hobby | Falco longipennis |
| Brown Falcon | Falco berigora |
| Cockatoos (Cacatuidae) | |
| Red-tailed Black Cockatoo | Calyptorhynchus banksii |
| Cockatiel | Nymphicus hollandicus |
| Galah | Eolophus roseicapilla |
| Little Corella | Cacatua sanguinea |
| Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | Cacatua galerita |
| Old World Parrots (Psittaculidae) | |
| Red-winged Parrot | Aprosmictus erythropterus |
| Hooded Parrot | Psephotellus dissimilis |
| Northern Rosella | Platycercus venustus |
| Varied Lorikeet | Psitteuteles versicolor |
| Red-collared Lorikeet | Trichoglossus rubritorquis |
| Pittas (Pittidae) | |
| Rainbow Pitta | Pitta iris |
| Bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchidae) | |
| Great Bowerbird | Chlamydera nuchalis |
| Australasian Treecreepers (Climacteridae) | |
| Black-tailed Treecreeper | Climacteris melanurus |
| Australasian Wrens (Maluridae) | |
| Purple-crowned Fairywren | Malurus coronatus |
| Red-backed Fairywren | Malurus melanocephalus |
| Honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) | |
| Rufous-banded Honeyeater | Conopophila albogularis |
| Rufous-throated Honeyeater | Conopophila rufogularis |
| Bar-breasted Honeyeater | Ramsayornis fasciatus |
| Dusky Myzomela | Myzomela obscura |
| Red-headed Myzomela | Myzomela erythrocephala |
| Little Friarbird | Philemon citreogularis |
| Helmeted Friarbird | Philemon buceroides |
| Silver-crowned Friarbird | Philemon argenticeps |
| Brown Honeyeater | Lichmera indistincta |
| Banded Honeyeater | Cissomela pectoralis |
| Blue-faced Honeyeater | Entomyzon cyanotis |
| Black-chinned Honeyeater | Melithreptus gularis |
| White-throated Honeyeater | Melithreptus albogularis |
| White-gaped Honeyeater | Stomiopera unicolor |
| White-lined Honeyeater | Territornis albilineata |
| Yellow-tinted Honeyeater | Ptilotula flavescens |
| Grey-fronted Honeyeater | Ptilotula plumula |
| Yellow-throated Miner | Manorina flavigula |
| Pardalotes (Pardalotidae) | |
| Red-browed Pardalote | Pardalotus rubricatus |
| Striated Pardalote | Pardalotus striatus |
| Australasian Warblers (Acanthizidae) | |
| Weebill | Smicrornis brevirostris |
| Green-backed Gerygone | Gerygone chloronota |
| Large-billed Gerygone | Gerygone magnirostris |
| White-throated Gerygone | Gerygone olivacea |
| Mangrove Gerygone | Gerygone levigaster |
| Australasian Babblers (Pomatostomidae) | |
| Grey-crowned Babbler | Pomatostomus temporalis |
| Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies (Artamidae) | |
| White-breasted Woodswallow | Artamus leucorynchus |
| Black-faced Woodswallow | Artamus cinereus |
| Little Woodswallow | Artamus minor |
| Black Butcherbird | Melloria quoyi |
| Silver-backed Butcherbird | Cracticus argenteus |
| Pied Butcherbird | Cracticus nigrogularis |
| Cuckooshrikes (Campephagidae) | |
| Black-faced Cuckooshrike | Coracina novaehollandiae |
| White-bellied Cuckooshrike | Coracina papuensis |
| White-winged Triller | Lalage tricolor |
| Varied Triller | Lalage leucomela |
| Sittellas (Neosittidae) | |
| Varied Sittella | Daphoenositta chrysoptera |
| Shriketits (Falcunculidae) | |
| Northern Shriketit (H) | Falcunculus whitei |
| Whistlers & Allies (Pachycephalidae) | |
| Grey Whistler | Pachycephala simplex |
| Mangrove Golden Whistler | Pachycephala melanura |
| Rufous Whistler | Pachycephala rufiventris |
| Arafura Shrikethrush | Colluricincla megarhyncha |
| Grey Shrikethrush | Colluricincla harmonica |
| Sandstone Shrikethrush | Colluricincla woodwardi |
| Figbirds, Old World Orioles, Piopios (Oriolidae) | |
| Australasian Figbird | Sphecotheres vieilloti |
| Olive-backed Oriole | Oriolus sagittatus |
| Green Oriole | Oriolus flavocinctus |
| Drongos (Dicruridae) | |
| Spangled Drongo | Dicrurus bracteatus |
| Fantails (Rhipiduridae) | |
| Willie Wagtail | Rhipidura leucophrys |
| Northern Fantail | Rhipidura rufiventris |
| Arafura Fantail | Rhipidura dryas |
| Monarchs (Monarchidae) | |
| Magpie-lark | Grallina cyanoleuca |
| Leaden Flycatcher | Myiagra rubecula |
| Broad-billed Flycatcher | Myiagra ruficollis |
| Shining Flycatcher | Myiagra alecto |
| Paperbark Flycatcher | Myiagra nana |
| Crows, Jays (Corvidae) | |
| Torresian Crow | Corvus orru |
| Australian Mudnesters (Corcoracidae) | |
| Apostlebird | Struthidea cinerea |
| Australasian Robins (Petroicidae) | |
| Lemon-bellied Flyrobin | Microeca flavigaster |
| Jacky Winter | Microeca fascinans |
| Buff-sided Robin | Poecilodryas cerviniventris |
| Mangrove Robin | Peneothello pulverulenta |
| Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae) | |
| Fairy Martin | Petrochelidon ariel |
| Tree Martin | Petrochelidon nigricans |
| Grassbirds & Allies (Locustellidae) | |
| Rufous Songlark | Cincloramphus mathewsi |
| Cisticolas & Allies (Cisticolidae) | |
| Golden-headed Cisticola | Cisticola exilis |
| White-eyes (Zosteropidae) | |
| Canary White-eye | Zosterops luteus |
| Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae) | |
| Mistletoebird | Dicaeum hirundinaceum |
| Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae) | |
| Crimson Finch | Neochmia phaeton |
| Star Finch | Bathilda ruficauda |
| Double-barred Finch | Stizoptera bichenovii |
| Masked Finch | Poephila personata |
| Long-tailed Finch | Poephila acuticauda |
| Yellow-rumped Mannikin | Lonchura flaviprymna |
| Chestnut-breasted Mannikin | Lonchura castaneothorax |
| Gouldian Finch | Chloebia gouldiae |
| Total seen | 199 |
| Total heard only | 2 |
| Total recorded | 201 |
Reptile List
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Crocodiles (Crocodylidae) | |
| Saltwater Crocodile | Crocodylus porosus |
| Australian Freshwater Crocodile | Crocodylus johnstoni |
| Skinks (Scincidae) | |
| Lowlands Plain-backed Ctenotus | Ctenotus essingtonii |
| Bar-shouldered (Plain) Ctenotus | Ctenotus inornatus |
| Ten-lined Ctenotus | Ctenotus decaneurus |
| Bauxite Rainbow-skink | Carlia amax |
| Red-sided Rainbow-skink | Carlia rufilatus |
| Swanson’s Snake-eyed Skink | Cryptoblepharus cygnatus |
| Geckos (Gekkonidae) | |
| Common House Gecko | Hemidactylus frenatus |
| Dragons (Agamidae) | |
| Swamplands Lashtail (Northern Water Dragon) | Tropicagama temporalis |
| Gilbert’s Dragon | Lophognathus gilberti |
| Elapid Snakes (Elapidae) | |
| Papuan (Greater Black) Whipsnake | Demansia papuensis |
| Total | 12 |
Mammal List
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Old World Fruit Bats (Pteropodidae) | |
| Black Flying Fox | Pteropus alecto |
| Little Red Flying Fox | Pteropus scapulatus |
| False Vampire Bats (Megadermatidae) | |
| Ghost Bat | Macroderma gigas |
| Suids (Suidae) | |
| Wild Boar | Sus scrofa |
| Kangaroos, Wallabies, and Allies (Macropodidae) | |
| Agile Wallaby | Macropus agilis |
| Equines (Equidae) | |
| Domestic Horse | Equus caballus |
| Bovids (Bovidae) | |
| Domestic Water Buffalo | Bubalus bubalis |
| Zebu | Bos indicus |
| Total | 8 |
This is a sample trip report. Please email us ([email protected]) for more trip reports from this destination.
