Cairns Esplanade Bird Checklist
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Cairns Esplanade Bird Checklist Magpie Goose R Straw-necked Ibis C Common Redshank V Barking Owl R Brown Songlark R Nutmeg Mannikin C Wandering Whistling-Duck R Royal Spoonbill C Wood Sandpiper R,Mn Eastern Barn Owl R Silvereye R Chestnut-breasted Mannikin R Black Swan R Yellow-billed Spoonbill R Ruddy Turnstone R,Mn Little Kingfisher R Barn Swallow V House Sparrow C Radjah Shelduck R Eastern Osprey C Asian Dowitcher R,Mn Laughing Kookaburra R Welcome Swallow C Australasian Pipit R Australian Wood Duck R Black-shouldered Kite R Great Knot C,Mn Blue-winged Kookaburra R Fairy Martin R Eastern Yellow Wagtail V Pink-eared Duck R Square-tailed Kite R Red Knot U,Mn Forest Kingfisher R Tree Martin R Green Pygmy-goose R Pacific Baza R Sanderling R,Mn Sacred Kingfisher C Metallic Starling C Grey Teal R White-bellied Sea-Eagle U Little Stint V Collared Kingfisher C Common Myna C 216 species Pacific Black Duck R Whistling Kite U Red-necked Stint C,Mn Rainbow Bee-eater C Mistletoebird U Hardhead R Brahminy Kite C Long-toed Stint V Dollarbird R,Mn Olive-backed Sunbird C Red-tailed Tropicbird R Black Kite U Pectoral Sandpiper R,Mn Red-backed Fairy-wren R Red-browed Finch R Rock Dove C Brown Goshawk R Sharp-tailed Sandpiper C,Mn Lovely Fairy-wren R Spotted Dove C Collared Sparrowhawk R Dunlin V Large-billed Gerygone U Crested Pigeon R Grey Goshawk R Curlew Sandpiper C,Mn Fairy Gerygone R Peaceful Dove C Swamp Harrier R Broad-billed Sandpiper U,Mn Striated Pardalote R LIST ANNOTATIONS Bar-shouldered Dove C Little Eagle R Ruff V Yellow-spotted Honeyeater U Wompoo Fruit-Dove R Nankeen Kestrel R Australian Pratincole R,Mn Graceful Honeyeater U Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove R Brown Falcon R Common Noddy R Varied Honeyeater C C=Common Likely to be recorded on most visits Superb Fruit-Dove R Australian Hobby R Black Noddy R Yellow Honeyeater C U=Uncommon Recorded regularly but not every visit Pied Imperial-Pigeon C,Mn Peregrine Falcon U Sooty Tern R Brown-backed Honeyeater R R=Rare Recorded infrequently Topknot Pigeon R Red-necked Crake R Little Tern C,Mn Dusky Honeyeater U V=Vagrant Does not usually occur in Australia Tawny Frogmouth R Buff-banded Rail U Fairy Tern R Brown Honeyeater C Papuan Frogmouth R Australian Bustard R Gull-billed Tern C White-throated Honeyeater R Australian Swiftlet C Bush Stone-curlew C Caspian Tern C,Mw Blue-faced Honeyeater R h=More often heard than seen White-throated Needletail R,Mn Beach Stone-curlew U Whiskered Tern U Helmeted Friarbird C Mn=Migrant from the North (approx Oct-Mar) Fork-tailed Swift R.Mn Australian Pied Oystercatcher C White-winged Black Tern R Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike R Mw =Migrant from the West (approx May-Sep) Wedge-tailed Shearwater R Black-winged Stilt R Roseate Tern R White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike C MNZ=New Zealand Migrant (approx May-Sep) Lesser Frigatebird R Red-necked Avocet R White-fronted Tern R Cicadabird U,h Great Frigatebird R Pacific Golden Plover C,Mn Black-naped Tern R Varied Triller U Brown Booby R Grey Plover R,Mn Common Tern U Golden Whistler R Definition: The C/U/R annotations in this list give an Australasian Darter U Red-capped Plover C Lesser Crested Tern U Grey Whistler R indication of how easy or difficult it might be to find a Little Pied Cormorant R Double-banded PloverR,MNZ Crested Tern C Little Shrike-thrush R Great Cormorant R Lesser Sand Plover C,Mn Kelp Gull V Australasian Figbird C species. They indicate the likelihood that an experienced Little Black Cormorant R Greater Sand Plover C,Mn Laughing Gull V Yellow Oriole U birder might record the species, during a day bird- Pied Cormorant R Oriental Plover R,Mn Franklin's Gull V White-breasted Woodswallow C Australian Pelican C Black-fronted Dotterel C Silver Gull C Black Butcherbird U watching, at the right time of year, in the appropriate Black-necked Stork U Red-kneed Dotterel R Sulphur-crested Cockatoo U Spangled Drongo U habitat. White-necked Heron R Masked Lapwing C Rainbow Lorikeet C Rufous Fantail R Eastern Great Egret C Latham's Snipe R,Mn Scaly-breasted Lorikeet C Grey Fantail R Intermediate Egret C Black-tailed Godwit C,Mn Double-eyed Fig-Parrot C Willie Wagtail C Great-billed Heron R Bar-tailed Godwit C,Mn Red-winged Parrot R Leaden Flycatcher U See also- Cattle Egret R Little Curlew R,Mn Pheasant Coucal R Satin Flycatcher R Striated Heron C Whimbrel C Eastern Koel U,Mn,h Shining Flycatcher C Brochure no.11 Pied Heron R Eastern Curlew C Channel-billed Cuckoo U,Mn Spectacled Monarch R Migratory Shorebirds of the Cairns Esplanade White-faced Heron C Terek Sandpiper C,Mn Magpie-lark C Shining Bronze-Cuckoo R Little Egret C Common Sandpiper R,Mn Little Bronze-Cuckoo C Yellow-breasted Boatbill R Eastern Reef Egret U Grey-tailed Tattler C,Mn Fan-tailed Cuckoo R Mangrove Robin C Information compiled from Birds Australia Atlas Nankeen Night-Heron U Wandering Tattler R Brush Cuckoo R,h Horsfield's Bushlark R Reports with additional information from John Seale Glossy Ibis R Common Greenshank C,Mn Oriental Cuckoo R,Mn Golden-headed Cisticola R and John Crowhurst Australian White Ibis C Marsh Sandpiper U,Mn Rufous Owl R Australian Reed-Warbler R WHO ARE WE? INFORMATION The Cairns Esplanade, with its boardwalk and viewing platforms, is only minutes from the CBD. It offers an BirdLife Northern Queensland easy vantage point to view the varied bird life including is a branch of the national organisation BirdLife significant numbers of migratory waders (shorebirds) as Australia, formed in 2012 by the merger of Birds well as Australasian migrants, nomads, residents and Australia and BOCA. vagrants. This list covers birds that have been found on the mud flats as well as adjacent mangroves and BirdLife Northern Queensland organizes both scientific gardens. and social activities. These include bird surveys, outings, workshops and presentations with guest speakers. The Identifying waders can be a challenge but the Cairns Bird Checklist No 7 regular field trips and campouts cater for all levels of foreshore offers easy close-up viewing, among the best expertise from beginner to professional and emphasise in the world. From August to March-April over 20 fun as well as worthwhile conservation projects. species of long distance migrant can be seen at once, probing in the mud for the valuable food source. For Members receive a quarterly newsletter Contact Call these migrants, Cairns is a key refuelling stop for them detailing local activities and also enjoy BirdLife to build up fat reserves for the long journey back to Australia magazine dealing with national bird issues. breeding grounds in Alaska, Siberia and N China. Peak numbers are from Aug-Dec (returning breeders and You can join BirdLife Australia and help the young) and the north-bound migration peak is in Mar- conservation of Australian birds at www.birdlife.org.au April. Small numbers stay over summer and some stay all year, mainly first and second year birds. Best views BirdLife on the Cairns mudflats are on an incoming tide in the evening (tide tables are available at tourist outlets). Northern Queensland Resident waders also feed along the foreshore, More info on birds in & around Cairns: sometimes including the uncommon Beach Stone- curlew. Nomads include egrets, terns and the Australian Birding Info No 11 Cairns Esplanade Migrants Pelican. Land-based migrants, including Pied Imperial- Birding Info No 7 Birding in Cairns Pigeons, arrive from New Guinea in late August and stay to breed until March-April. Birding Info No 1 Cairns Gardens Bird Checklist No 2 Redden Island Rare vagrants occasionally arrive on the Esplanade, Bird Checklist No 33 Cattana Wetlands bringing a rush of birdwatchers from all over Australia. These have included Laughing Gull, Franklin’s Gull, Dunlin, Common Redshank and Long-toed Stint. Due to the large number of birders who have visited the Email [email protected] Esplanade over the years there are also many records of Web www.birdsaustralianq.org one off sightings of ducks etc that are not normally Updated April 2013 www.birdlife.org.au expected. Other pelagic species are sometimes brought Facebook Birdlife Northern Queensland © BirdLife Northern Queensland in by cyclones. .