The Cairns region has a number of rare and exotric birds and is a perfect haven for birdwatchers and other nature lovers.

The Cairns region is rapidly becoming a major destination for birdwatching thanks to the pristine environment and its geographic placement on a number of migration paths.

Michaelmas and Upolu Cays National Park is about 40km northeast of Cairns and a great spot for watching seabirds.

Michaelmas Cay is the seventh most important seabird nesting site in the Great Barrier Reef, with many rare species using it as a vital part of the migration pattern.

The Cairns Esplanade, Centenary Lakes and Cairns Botanic Gardens are all convenient spots for a bit of birdwatching in the city centre.

There is good signage at these destinations highlighting the major species of birds to be found in the area.

Seabirds can be spotted on the Great Barrier Reef’s various islands and coral cays.

The islands of Fitzroy and Green are also good spots for birdwatching, with their rainforest habitat and close proximity to the mainland.

The Daintree, Cape Tribulation, Cooktown and Cape York are all excellent spots for camping and trekking activities that can lead to great Cairns birdwatching opportunities.

Several of birdwatching cruises travel the Daintree River where up to 40 or more different birds can be spotted.

The route will offer a combination of waterbirds and other species common to the area like herons, sea eagles, cuckoos, black bittern, darters, kingfishers, honeyeaters, osprey and blue-winged kookaburras.

Night Cairns birdwatching tours should include sightings of the Papuan frogmouth and the bush stone curlew – endangered in Australia but still relatively common in the Cairns region.

Inland from the coast, birdwatchers can spot finches, robins, kingfishers, parrots and riflebirds among other species, alongside cassowaries.

The palm cockatoo, a large, black parrot with a splash of red on it, is also at home in the rainforest.

There are also a number of zoos and animal attractions in the region the ability to get up close to some of the region's best known and rarest species.

Cairns Tropical Zoo in Palm Cove, Hartley's Creek Crocodile Farm on the Captain Cook Highway and the Rainforest Dome in the Cairns CBD are all great examples of this.

As you can see, their is an abundance of bird life in the Cairns region, enough to keep even the most avid birdwatcher happy.

For more information on birdwatching, or other tourist attractions in the Cairns region, please follow the links below:

> Cairns Birdwatching

> Cairns Animal Attractions

> Shots from our readers of birds for our Weekender Wildlife Photography Competition

> Cairns Rainforest

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