See Wild Creatures in Unspoiled Places

Birdwatching and Nature Tours in Darwin and the Top End

Morning tea break next to a billabong on the Old Jim Jim Road (photo copyright Mike Jarvis)

Let us take you somewhere wild!

See an amazing variety of unique birdlife, reptiles, mammals and creepy crawlies in monsoon forests, savannah woodlands, mangroves, wetlands and billabongs around Darwin and the Top End..

We specialise in bird and nature watching tours. Guides Mike Jarvis, and Chris Parker are passionate about the environment, local birdlife, wildlife and habitat as well as Indigenous culture and NT history and heritage.

With a maximum of seven passengers, you are assured of a personalized experience as you travel in a comfortable, airconditioned 4WD.

Forget traffic jams, pollution and phones, revitalize and refresh in the Top End wilderness (photo copyright Mick Jerram)

Accreditations

Kakadu Tour Operator License
Parks and Wildlife NT Tour Operator License
Australian Tourism Accreditation Program
Certificate IV Tourism (Guiding) NT
Members of Wildlife Tourism Australia

Experience the Wild!

The Northern Territory’s Top End features a mosaic of habitats offering an exceptional variety and density of birds.

Arafura Fantail - Adelaide River (photo copyright Laurie Ross)

Around Darwin City itself there are many unspoiled areas that 'Experience the Wild' tours visit to showcase our birdlife and interpret the habitat. We go to places where we can have savannah woodland behind us, monsoon forest in front of us, shoreline the other side of the monsoon forest and a creek and mangroves just off to our right. In the middle of all this there is a small irrigated park. We could (and usually do) see specialist bird species from any of these habitats anywhere we look!

A Top End birding experience starts with these treasure chest locations around Darwin and then ventures out to other areas such as the Mary River National Park where we often see Gouldian Finches and Kakadu National Park where the Arnhemland Escarpment is home to some unique species that live only there.

Gouldian (male) - Marrakai Track (photo copyright Laurie Ross)

On our return to Darwin we look for savannah species we may have missed elsewhere. All the time we are learning about the significance of the landforms, wildlife and birds to the traditional owners of the country we are travelling through, and the conservation methods they have practiced for thousands of years. We will see evidence of several climate changes that have affected the territory habitats over the last few thousand years. And as we do this we constantly adding new bird sightings to our list!

Click here to learn more about our full day Darwin Birdwatching Experience. If you are chasing certain target birds, we can take you to places you are most likely to see them. You can find information about specific habitat, best time of year and where to find each Top End species here. Information on Top End endemic species and other target species for a Darwin visit can be found on this page. You can download our free printable taxonomic Top End Birdlist by clicking here Top End Birds Checklist

Azure Kingfisher - Howard Springs (photo copyright Laurie Ross)

Fixed Date Tour and Special Offers

Save a lot of money by doing a group tour!

Advantages:- lower cost, company of like minded people who enjoy wildlife and share conservation values in a small group tour.
Please click here for details of other upcoming group tours and dates in 2016.

Some Interesting Links..

Trevor and Angie birding (photo copyright Mike Jarvis)

Bird Watching Tips!! Improve your skills and learn about the many and varied products that are available to help you be more proficient and have more fun out birding!

Click here to read our recent Newsletters

Australian Raptors may be Playing with Fire IFL Science article on Bob Gosford's research into Black Kites and Brown Falcons starting fires

Observe Intently the Birds Article in the Awake! magazine about bird watching

A disturbing article about the state of our shorebirds

Click here for Graham Brown's 'Bugbits' link for fascinating information on invertebrates.

Click here to learn about Top End weather and seasons.

Download our free printable taxonomic Top End Birdlist Top End Birds Checklist

Please go to our links page for Darwin information, tours, accommodation and bird watching info.

John and Marie Edith River Creek (photo copyright Mike Jarvis)

Photos

All photos on this website are taken by me or generously provided by my guests and local fellow birders. All photos are acknowledged and may not be copied without written permission.

All photos are taken in Top End habitats, in most cases right in the location being discussed.

If you are a previous guest of Experience the Wild and have any photos you would like to contribute, I would be grateful for their submission.

Bird Photography Ethics

Most nature photographers are cognizant of the needs of birds and avoid causing any undue stress to their avian subjects. We don't use playback to bring birds closer and we keep a respectable distance from nests. There are photos of birds at the nest on this website. These are taken from a reasonable distance with the aid of powerful zoom lenses and in most cases, from an established pathway. Also, we don't chase or deliberately flush birds. Quietly stalking them will yield better results, but even this can be interpreted by birds as predatory behaviour. The most satisfying close encounters are had when birds move in to range of their own volition when we wait patiently in the one location. We never place food to bait birds to come in to range either. Guides have the benefit of an intimate familiarity with local species and habitats and can set you up to get great results without resorting to any of these dubious practises. Guests are encouraged to speak up if they see any situation that could be detrimental to birds or the environment while on tour.