Category Archives: Mission Beach Birdwatching
Shining Flycatcher
The Shining Flycatcher is one of the most recognizable birds of the Wet Tropics. The brilliant glossy plumage of the male contrasts deeply with the drab chestnut and white of his mate and as the birds usually travel in pairs … Continue reading
Helmeted Friarbird
The Helmeted Friarbird owes its name to the bare patch of skin on top of its head. It is in fact a Honeyeater and as often the way with the family, aggressive. These birds are common throughout Mission Beach and … Continue reading
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
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
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
Welcome Swallow
The Welcome Swallow is one of the most common birds along the east coast of Australia. Aerial feeders, these birds have adapted well to human settlement and often nest in outbuildings or under eaves. The distinctive mud nests are well … Continue reading
White-eared Monarch
The White-eared Monarch is not an uncommon bird in the Mission beach rainforests but a difficult one to see clearly as it is both a secretive species and also spends a lot of its life high in the canopy. Seeing … Continue reading
