Author Archives: Mission Beach Tourism
Bush Hen
The Bush Hen is a common but very rarely seen inhabitant of the Mission Beach rainforests. A ground dweller and belonging to the Rail family, Bush Hens are smaller then chickens but as loud as the average rooster. The most … Continue reading
Graceful Honeyeater
The Graceful Honeyeater is a common Mission Beach bird and very similar in appearance to its close relative the Yellow-spotted Honeyeater. The tow may be distinguished by the Graceful having a more rounded yellow cheek patch and also on call … Continue reading
Guanabana or Soursop
The Guana Bana, also known as Soursop, is the largest member of the custard apple family and is produced by the Graviola Tree. It is a large fruit of a small fast growing tree. Its skin is dark green or … Continue reading
Yellow-faced Whip Snake
One of the least seen creatures inhabiting the Mission Beach area is the small, secretive Yellow-faced Whip Snake. These little reptiles which rarely attain a size of more than 70 cms in length are skink eaters and so active by … Continue reading
Old Mates (ANZAC Rememberance)
Newborn babies in the arms of their defence force parents joined veterans as old as 90 to commemorate ANZAC day during a moving dawn service in El Arish yesterday. Thousands flocked to events held throughout the Cassowary Coast to celebrate … Continue reading
Koel
The Koel is a distinctive spring visitor to Mission Beach and the birds remain in the village until the end of April or early May before migrating north to PNG and possibly further north. Arriving in August or September they … Continue reading
Tree Martin
The Tree Martin is a swallow like bird which can easily be distinguished from the more common Welcome Swallow by its lack of chestnut color on the throat and square, rather than forked tail, in flight. Otherwise Tree Martins have … Continue reading
Large-tailed Nightjar
Australia has 3 Nightjar species with all being recorded from the Mission Beach environment. The most common of these is the Large-tailed Nightjar, a bird with a distinctive call resembling the chopping of wood. Indeed early pioneers named this the … Continue reading
The Sooty Owl
The Sooty Owl was once considered an endangered species. Further work has revealed that these secretive birds are more common than was once thought and so they’ve been happily removed from that list. A primitive Owl, the Lesser Sooty is … Continue reading
