Where to Watch Birds

Lee Point

Lee Point is the place to see waders, terns, sometimes in huge numbers, and often, Beach Stone-curlew. Lee Point is the northern most tip of Darwin and faces the open sea. Because of this it is one of the most important sites for shore bird counting which is done by an intrepid group of volunteers on a regular basis through the year, particularly from September to April. The efforts of people like this are crucial to the conservation of habitats for these amazing flyers!

Dogs off lead are banned on this section of beach but unfortunately many dog owners are oblivious to either the ban or the reason for the ban. There is a need for better signage to help people appreciate the needs of these birds.

The ideal tide for shorebird watching is around the 4 mark and rising. Spotting scopes are essential to be able to properly see and identify shorebirds as it is not possible or advisable to approach too closely.

Parking is available at the Casuarina Coastal Reserve and you will find great habitat there for a variety of bush birds like Striated Pardalote, Grey-crowned Babbler and Red-winged Parrot.

Watch the tide doesn't trap you while you are scoping the birds at Lee Point!

Our Darwin Birdwatching Experience and Fogg Dam Wildlife Experience sometimes include this location as part of a guided tour.

Links below are to other excellent birding locations within the Darwin and Palmerston suburban areas.

East Point Reserve

East Point Mangrove Boardwalk

Rapid Creek

Sandy Creek

Stringybark Walk to Lee Point Circuit walk from Sage Resort, Lee Point

Buffalo Creek

Leanyer Sewerage Treatment Plant

Holmes Jungle

Knuckey Lagoons

Palmerston Sewerage Ponds

Species seen here recently

(81 Birds)

Orange-footed Scrubfowl
Megapodius reinwardt

Emerald Dove
Chalcophaps indica

Peaceful Dove
Geopelia striata

Bar-shouldered Dove
Geopelia humeralis

Pied Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula bicolor

Large-tailed Nightjar
Caprimulgus macrurus

Lesser Frigatebird
Fregata ariel

Little Black Cormorant
Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

Eastern Reef Egret
Egretta sacra

Straw-necked Ibis
Threskiornis spinicollis

Whistling Kite
Haliastur sphenurus

Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus

Black Kite
Milvus migrans

Collared Sparrowhawk
Accipiter cirrocephalus

Bush Stone-curlew
Burhinus grallarius

Beach Stone-curlew
Esacus magnirostris

Sooty Oystercatcher
Haematopus fuliginosus

Pacific Golden Plover
Pluvialis fulva

Red-capped Plover
Charadrius ruficapillus

Lesser Sand Plover
Charadrius mongolus

Greater Sand Plover
Charadrius leschenaultii

Masked Lapwing
Vanellus miles

Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponica

Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus

Eastern Curlew
Numenius madagascariensis

Terek Sandpiper
Xenus cinereus

Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos

Grey-tailed Tattler
Tringa brevipes

Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpres

Great Knot
Calidris tenuirostris

Red Knot
Calidris canutus

Sanderling
Calidris alba

Red-necked Stint
Calidris ruficollis

Little Tern
Sternula albifrons

Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica

Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia

Lesser Crested Tern
Thalasseus bengalensis

Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii

Silver Gull
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus banksii

Galah
Eolophus roseicapillus

Little Corella
Cacatua sanguinea

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua galerita

Red-collared Lorikeet
Trichoglossus rubritorquis

Varied Lorikeet
Psitteuteles versicolor

Red-winged Parrot
Aprosmictus erythropterus

Pheasant Coucal
Centropus phasianinus

Brush Cuckoo
Cacomantis variolosus

Blue-winged Kookaburra
Dacelo leachii

Forest Kingfisher
Todiramphus macleayii

Sacred Kingfisher
Todiramphus sanctus

Collared Kingfisher
Todiramphus chloris

Dollarbird
Eurystomus orientalis

Great Bowerbird
Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis

Striated Pardalote
Pardalotus striatus

White-gaped Honeyeater
Lichenostomus unicolor

Rufous-banded Honeyeater
Conopophila albogularis

Dusky Honeyeater
Myzomela obscura

Red-headed Honeyeater
Myzomela erythrocephala

Brown Honeyeater
Lichmera indistincta

White-throated Honeyeater
Melithreptus albogularis

Silver-crowned Friarbird
Philemon argenticeps

Little Friarbird
Philemon citreogularis

Grey-crowned Babbler
Pomatostomus temporalis

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Coracina novaehollandiae

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
Coracina papuensis

White-winged Triller
Lalage sueurii

Varied Triller
Lalage leucomela

Australasian Figbird
Sphecotheres vieilloti

Green Oriole
Oriolus flavocinctus

White-breasted Woodswallow
Artamus leucorynchus

Black Butcherbird
Cracticus quoyi

Spangled Drongo
Dicrurus bracteatus

Torresian Crow
Corvus orru

Magpie-lark
Grallina cyanoleuca

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher
Microeca flavigaster

Mistletoebird
Dicaeum hirundinaceum

Double-barred Finch
Taeniopygia bichenovii

Long-tailed Finch
Poephila acuticauda

Crimson Finch
Neochmia phaeton

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Lonchura castaneothorax