Daintree Coast Wildlife

Ornithoptera euphorion.

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) close up.

Photo by: Connie Pinson

No we’re not baby Cassowaries! We’re Orange-footed Scrubfowl (Megapodius reinwardt).

You’ll see us scratching around the Daintree Rainforest. We’ll also serenade you with our unique calls in the evening and early morning.

We don’t incubate our eggs with body heat, instead, we build a large mound, heaped up with organic matter to generate heat. Within only 24-48 hours after chicks hatch they fly away to safety!

A sure sign of Spring in FNQ is when the Black Butcherbird starts to take the stage.

Why named a Butcherbird? They are a predatory bird feeding on insects, lizards, snakes, other small birds and small mammals, as well as scavenging.
They have a gruesome way of feeding. Sometimes after catching prey, they hang it off a branch or tree fork, and hack the meat away, just like a butcher, occasionally with leftovers stored for later.

What cooooo looking at?
We’re a couple of bar-shouldered doves (Geopelia humeralis) hanging out pecking at some grass seeds. Oh there’s another 10 or so of our flock, hiding in the big fig… we know you’re trying to take a photo! Coolicooo coolicooo

Graceful Honeyeater (Meliphaga gracilis), feeding on a Grevillea flower.

Photo by: Connie Pinson

Pied Imperial-Pigeons aka Torres Strait Pigeons or Nutmeg Pigeons.

These graceful birds fly in from the Low Isles to forage on fruit trees throughout the Daintree rainforest & surrounds. The numbers we see only indicate half the total number of birds as only one parent leaves the nest each day to forage on the mainland. They alternate parental duties of incubation and feeding.