Birdwatching around Broome Broome is world famous for its spectacular birdlife, with over 325 species recorded in the region. Excellent birding can be had throughout the year. NB The wet season Birdwatching occasionally affects access to the prime birding areas. Bird Sites There are six distinct habitats in the region and all are around relatively close to the town itself. They are mangrove, salt Broome Region marsh, open plains, mudflats, pindan woodland and coastal scrub interspersed with vine thickets Broome Barred Creek 6 Bar-shouldered Manari Road 0 5 Km Dove Scale Broome-Cape Levique Road Acknowledgements Illustrations / photographs: P Agar, R Ashford, P Barrett, Willie Creek J Baas, N Davies, P Marsack, M Morcombe, F O’Connor, 6 G Steytler, C Tate, S Tingay, J Vogel. Contacts Broome Bird Observatory Phone: (08) 9193 5600 Email: [email protected] Web: www.broomebirdobservatory.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/broomebirdobs / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Broome / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / 7/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Guide No 3A / / / / / / / / / / / / Roebuck/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /Plains / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Roebuck / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Revised March 2019 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Bay / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / John Anderson by Plover Grey / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / All content is subject to copyright ©. / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Queries to BirdLife Western Australia. BirdLife Western Australia members are offered a variety of activities and Broome Road services including conservation and research projects, excursions, campouts, surveys and social activities. There is also a library and books for sale at the office. To view the full range of bird guides visit the website. Australia’s voice for birds since 1901 Cable Beach BirdLife Australia is dedicated to achieving outstanding Gantheaume conservation results for our native birds and their Crab CreekCrab Road Bay 4 habitats. With our specialised knowledge and the commitment of an Australia-wide network of volunteers 3 Broome Broome Bird Observatory and supporters, we are creating a bright future for 5 Australia’s birds. birdlife.org.au Roebuck Bay 1 Crab Creek 2 BirdLife Western Australia 167 Perry Lakes Drive, Floreat WA 6014 T 08 9383 7749 | [email protected] birds are in our nature facebook.com/BirdLifeAustralia | @BirdlifeOz Western Australia ABN 75 149 124 774 1. Roebuck Bay 1a. Broome Bird Observatory (BBO) 1b. Malurus Trail This area has some of the best birding areas Located on Roebuck Bay, BBO was established in This leads from the observatory along the fence in Australia for migratory waders. The coastal 1988 by Birds Australia (now BirdLife Australia) as a line for about 3 km to Crab Creek. Look for Black- environment is an internationally recognised base to research the many thousands of migratory shouldered Kite, Spotted Harrier, Brown Falcon, wintering area for tens of thousands of these birds waders that use the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Nankeen Kestrel, Brown Quail, White-winged Triller, from September to April. Many of these species to visit the north west of Western Australia each Grey-crowned Babbler, Horsfield’s Bushlark, Golden- stay through the Australian winter, appearing very summer. Over 800,000 birds visit annually; it is headed Cisticola, Red-backed Fairy-wren, cuckoos different in their breeding plumage. considered one of the top shorebird viewing sites and button-quails. in the world. Habitats in the area include intertidal mudflats, woodland, open plains, mangroves and salt marsh. Bar-tailed Godwit (breeding plumage) Common Sandpiper A telescope is very useful to identify and enjoy these White-winged Triller waders. Near high tide is the best time to view the (male) flocks as they roost on the beaches of the bay. The observatory is 25km from Broome and is accessed via Crab Creek Rd (sign-posted at the junction of Broome and Crab Creek Rds). It is 15km Brown Falcon from here, including 13km of unsealed, sandy and Pied Oystercatcher corrugated road – 4WD recommended. 1c. Crab Creek Mangroves Accommodation & facilities: The observatory has Many birds are present, but some are difficult to basic units, a self-contained cottage, unpowered locate. Keen observers may find Striated Heron, campsites and a well-equipped camp kitchen, Mangrove Golden and White-breasted Whistlers, While summer is the best season to see the largest education facilities and a library. Broad-billed Flycatcher, Mangrove Grey Fantail, and flocks of waders, several thousand can be seen Dusky Gerygone. Yellow White-eye is common. This throughout the dry season such as Sooty and There are conducted tours and walks. Day visitors is the best site to view the waders feeding close to Australian Pied Oystercatchers, Eastern Curlew, are welcome. Ring the observatory for full details, the mangroves at low tide. You may be fortunate Whimbrel, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits, including tide times for watching waders. enough to see Common Redshank and Asian Great and Red Knots, Common Greenshank, Terek (See Contacts for BBO contact details) Dowitcher feeding here. and Curlew Sandpipers, Red-necked Stint, Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers, Grey Plover and Ruddy Turnstone. Brown Quail Ruddy Turnstone Sought after species such as Common Redshank, Asian Dowitcher and Broad-billed Sandpiper are often present including the dry season. Striated Heron 2. Entrance Point and Deep Water Jetty 3. Pindan Woodlands, Broome Town, 4. Town Mangroves Golf Course and ovals Deep Water Jetty is worth a look for Brown Booby, These areas provide a challenge to the most avid Australasian Darter, Osprey and Striated Heron. Pindan woodland, the common acacia-dominated birder. The easiest site to access is Streeters Jetty off vegetation community found between Derby Dampier Tce at the end of Short St. This is also a good area for Singing, Brown, Rufous- and Port Hedland, offers quite different birding throated and sometimes Grey-headed Honeyeaters. opportunities Look for Mangrove Golden and White-breasted Red-backed and Varigated Fairy-wrens are common. Whistlers, Mangrove Grey Fantail, Dusky Gerygone, Other species include Eastern Reef Egret, Grey-tailed Species to be seen include Red-winged Parrot, Broad-billed Flycatcher, Red-headed Honeyeater and Tattler, Sanderling and several terns. Black-chinned Honeyeater, White-throated Yellow White-eye. Gerygone, Black-faced Woodswallow and Great Bowerbird. Look for Barnswallow and Dollarbird Osprey, Brahminy Kite and Gull-billed Tern are a few (Oct -Apr). The sewage ponds (see Site 5) have of the birds patrolling the coastline. surrounding pindan woodland. Minyirr Park ( site 3a) which runs from Cable Beach Resort area to Gantheaume Point, has trails throughout and the numerous entrances are marked. The best place to start is to park in the Cable Beach parking lot near the surf club. Red-headed White-breasted Honeyeater Whistler (male) Caspian Tern The golf course (site 3b) is also an excellent area of woodland. Please do not disturb the golfers. 5. Broome Sewage Ponds Town ovals (site 3c) support several Birdwatchers often visit such areas seeking unusual species including include Black Kite, sightings in these reliable water sources. 0 1 2 Km Nankeen Kestrel, Masked Lapwing, Scale Broome Rd Australasian Pipit, and White- Cable Beach Rd W Officially ‘Broome South Waste Water Treatment breasted Woodswallow. In the wet Plant’ (WWTP), the area is accessed via Port Drive season Yellow Wagtail is possible and Clementson St. This is an artificial, 13ha site and waders may include Little Gubinge Rd and is used by a wide variety of species – ducks, Curlew, Pacific and Golden Plover. White-breasted Woodswallow shorebirds, herons, spoonbills, raptors, etc for foraging, roosting and in some cases, breeding. It Cable Beach3a Broome Rd Broome Birds of prey feature prominently often turns up unusual sightings. in Broome. Eighteen species have been recorded A raised viewing area, the Barndarlmarda Hut, is including Black Kite, Whistling Kite, Brown Goshawk, inside the main fenced boundary and provides good Broome Collared Sparrowhawk and Peregrine Falcon and Minyirr Park 3c views over the ponds. Gubinge Rd there is a good chance of White-bellied Sea Eagle. 4 This was an innovative and much appreciated