Bird Watching

Cape Hillsborough is a bird watchers paradise – more than 150 species of birds call the area home. Many of the species can be observed within the boundaries of the park. Some are migratory and visit for only a few months of the year. Early morning is the best time of the day for bird watching, allowing you to observe the many species found here.

Below, you will find some of the most commonly seen birds, with information on how to identify them and where to find them.

For further information we have a range of different reference material made available during your stay here at Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Park.

 

Australian Scrub Turkey

Plumage: Body and tail black; head without feathers, skin red; loose yellow flap of skin on neck.

Diet: Insects, seeds and native fruit.

Habitat: Rainforest.

 

 

 

Blue Winged Kookaburra

Plumage: Head and undersides off-white, head streaked with brown. Back brown; wings and tail blue. Eye off-white.

Diet: Insects and other invertebrates; small vertebrates such as lizards, snakes and rodents.

Habitat: Open forest.

 

 

 

Rainbow Lorikeet

Plumage: Head and lower abdomen violet-blue; yellow collar on neck; back, wings and tail green; breast and upper abdomen orange-yellow; underside of tail strongly marked with yellow.

Diet: Nectar, blossoms, fruit, seeds and insects.

Habitat: Open forest and rainforest

 

 

Bush Stone Curlew (Bush thick-knee)

Plumage: Underparts grey-brown heavily streaked with black; undersides cream-buff streaked with brown-black. Eye yellow with buff eyebrow.

Diet: Invertebrates.

Habitat: Open forest.

 

 

 

Brahminy Kite

Plumage: Head, neck and breast white, remainder of bird dark chestnut.

Diet: Fish, reptiles, small birds and insects.

Habitat: Air, shores and islands.

 

 

 

Pied Oystercatcher

Plumage: Head, breast and upperparts black; abdomen and underwings white. Eye, bill, legs and feet red-pink.

Diet: Mulloscs, marine worms and snails.

Habitat: Shores and islands.

 

 

 

Yellow-bellied Sunbird

Plumage: Male – face and upperparts olive. Chin, throat and upper breast metallic black; rest of undersides yellow. Bill and legs black. Female – upperparts olive; underside yellow.

Diet: Nectar, insects and spiders.

Habitat: Open forest.

 

 

Forest Kingfisher

Plumage: Grey-brown upperparts; white line above and below eye. Throat white, rest of undersides buff. Tail long and fanned with white outer feathers.

Diet: Insects.

Habitat: Rainforest and open forest. Common during winter.

 

 

 

Reference: Birds of Cape Hillsborough by Allan Briggs (2006)