Birds of the Daintree Rainforest

Remember to bring your binoculars!

With over 370 species of Australia’s birds living in the Daintree, you won’t be short on bird sightings in the Daintree Rainforest. 

Here are some of the most iconic birds of the Daintree… How many can you spot on your travels?

Southern Cassowary

We couldn’t possibly talk about the birds of the Daintree without mentioning the Southern Cassowary! The Southern Cassowary is perhaps the most recognised bird in Australia. It is iconic to the region.

It’s a government-protected species. It holds so much cultural significance, and it’s an integral part of the forest’s ecosystem.

With bright yellow eyes and a blue/black plumage, these birds are very recognisable.

They are most commonly spotted during the early mornings, walking around the forest.

The cassowary survives on purple-blue fruit that you’ll see scattered on the rainforest floor. Cassowaries swallow these blue fruits whole. Then these fruits grow into new trees when they are digested and excreted by the cassowary.

The male cassowaries can grow up until they are a whopping 29-55kg, whereas the females can grow up to 76kg. They are flightless birds, but they can run very quickly.

These birds can become very defensive over their babies. If you encounter a Southern Cassowary guarding their chicks, then you should probably stay away! After all, they’re the closest living thing we have to a velociraptor!

Macleay’s Honeyeater

Endemic to Northeast Australia, the Macleay’s Honeyeater is only really found in Northern Queensland to Cooktown. These birds are commonly found in canopies of the forest, and they forage for a whole range of different types of food like insects and spiders. They’re omnivorous creatures.

The Macleay family were a group of politicians, collectors and naturalists who coined the name for this cute little bird.

It’s small, quick and flighty, often found fluttering around the rainforest or following orchid-like plants.

Black Butcherbird

The Black Butcherbird looks a little bit like a crow.

It will often hang around the rainforest and mangrove areas of the Daintree. Although you can spot it from the Marrdja Boardwalk, you can even see it in the Cairns Botanical Gardens.

It’s a predatory bird, as it feeds on various other bits of wildlife like insects, lizards and snacks – as well as other birds.

They live up to their name, by quite literally butchering their prey. They are quite aggressive in their killing tactics. They like to impale their meal on branches before tucking into it (bad luck for the butcherbird’s prey!) They have a sharp, long hooked bill at the end of their faces which allows them to kill their prey with ease.

Kingfisher

The Kingfisher is another type of bird that lives in the Daintree Rainforest. Nine of ten of Australia’s kingfisher species live here! One of the most common kingfishers in the area is an azure kingfisher or the buff-breasted paradise kingfisher.

Kingfishers eat things like yabbies and insects.

Ultimately, it’s a birdwatcher’s paradise in the Daintree Rainforest! Grab your binoculars and spot some of the most colourful and fascinating birds in the world.