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Explore North Queensland

Birds of Townsville

Birds you are likely to see around Townsville, and broad places to look. Watch from a distance, stay on paths, and never approach a nest.

Draft. These descriptions are written by Henari and have not yet been reviewed by a local birder.

Aussie Bird Count

The Aussie Bird Count is on now, until 25 October 2026. Spend 20 minutes in one outdoor spot and note the birds you see.

Take part in the official Aussie Bird Count (aussiebirdcount.org.au)

Use the Henari count sheet. It times 20 minutes and keeps a tally on your device.

How the count works (aussiebirdcount.org.au)

Count dates checked . Submit counts through BirdLife Australia’s app or web form. Henari does not send your count anywhere.

Common birds

  • Bush Stone-curlew

    A grey-brown, streaked Bush Stone-curlew with long legs and a large yellow eye, standing in leaf litter.
    A Bush Stone-curlew in Cairns. Photo: JJ Harrison, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.

    Look for: A tall, grey-brown, long-legged bird with big yellow eyes, often standing very still on lawns and in parks.

    You are more likely to hear one at night: a long, rising, wailing call.

    Seen in: Streets and parks, Woodland

  • Blue-winged Kookaburra

    A Blue-winged Kookaburra on a bare branch, with a pale eye, a streaked head and blue patches on its wings.
    A Blue-winged Kookaburra in Kakadu National Park. Photo: PotMart186, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.

    Look for: A large kingfisher with a pale eye and plenty of blue on the wings.

    A northern kookaburra. Its call is harsher and less tidy than the Laughing Kookaburra’s.

    Seen in: Woodland, Streets and parks

  • Blue-faced Honeyeater

    A Blue-faced Honeyeater hanging head-down in red flowers, showing its black head, white nape band and bright blue face patch.
    A Blue-faced Honeyeater in Brisbane. Photo: Andrew Mercer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.

    Look for: An olive-green back, white front, black head, and a patch of bright blue skin around the eye.

    Often noisy around flowering trees and banana plants.

    Seen in: Gardens, Woodland

  • Australasian Figbird

    A male Australasian Figbird with an olive-green body, a dark head and red skin around the eye, perched on a branch.
    A male Australasian Figbird. Photo: JJ Harrison, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.

    Look for: Chunky olive and yellow birds in groups. Males have red skin around the eye.

    Look in fruiting fig trees, where small flocks gather.

    Seen in: Gardens, Streets and parks

  • Olive-backed Sunbird

    A male Olive-backed Sunbird with a long curved bill, a yellow belly and a dark, shiny blue throat, perched among orange flowers.
    A male Olive-backed Sunbird near Thornton Beach, Daintree. Photo: JJ Harrison, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.

    Look for: A tiny bird with a curved bill and a yellow belly. Males have a dark, shiny blue-black throat.

    Builds a hanging nest that can turn up on verandahs and clotheslines.

    Seen in: Gardens

  • Rainbow Lorikeet

    A Rainbow Lorikeet with a blue head, a red bill, an orange chest and a green back, perched among gum blossoms.
    A Rainbow Lorikeet in Brisbane. Photo: Andrew Mercer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.

    Look for: A fast, loud parrot with a blue head, red bill, green back and orange chest.

    Usually in pairs or noisy groups around flowering trees.

    Seen in: Gardens, Streets and parks

  • Magpie-lark

    A black and white Magpie-lark perched on a dead branch, looking down.
    A female Magpie-lark in Melbourne. Photo: Wayne Butterworth, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.

    Look for: A black and white bird about the size of a pigeon, walking on lawns and footpaths.

    Also called a peewee. Pairs build cup-shaped nests out of mud.

    Seen in: Streets and parks, Wetlands

  • Masked Lapwing

    Look for: A brown-backed, white-fronted bird with a yellow face mask, on open grass.

    Nests on the ground and defends it loudly. Give nesting birds plenty of space.

    Seen in: Streets and parks, Wetlands

  • Brolga

    Two tall grey Brolgas with red heads, calling with their bills raised among dry grass.
    Brolgas at Werribee, Victoria. Photo: Pedramxp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.

    Look for: A very tall grey crane with a red head.

    Watch from paths and hides at wetlands such as the Town Common. Do not walk towards them.

    Seen in: Wetlands

  • Magpie Goose

    Two Magpie Geese with black heads and necks, a knob on the head and orange legs, walking on grass.
    Magpie Geese at East Point, Darwin. Photo: JJ Harrison, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.

    Look for: A large black and white goose with a knob on top of the head and orange legs.

    Gathers in groups on shallow wetlands.

    Seen in: Wetlands

  • Rainbow Bee-eater

    A slim Rainbow Bee-eater with green, yellow and blue feathers, a black eye stripe and a thin curved bill, perched on a metal tap.
    A Rainbow Bee-eater in Cairns. Photo: JJ Harrison, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.

    Look for: A slim, colourful bird with a long, thin, curved bill and a black stripe through the eye.

    Catches insects in flight, then returns to a perch.

    Seen in: Woodland, Coast

  • White-bellied Sea-Eagle

    A White-bellied Sea-Eagle, white underneath with grey wings, perched on a bare branch against a blue sky.
    A White-bellied Sea-Eagle at Yellow Water, Kakadu National Park. Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

    Look for: A large eagle, white underneath with grey wings, soaring over the coast and rivers.

    Watch from a distance and never approach a nest.

    Seen in: Coast, Wetlands

Checked . Review due .

Where to look

  • Townsville Town Common Conservation Park. Wetlands and woodland on the city’s edge, with walking tracks and bird hides.
  • Ross River and Riverway. Shared paths beside the river, with water birds and parkland birds.
  • Anderson Park and the Palmetum. Botanic gardens with shady paths. Good for honeyeaters, figbirds and sunbirds.
  • The Strand and the foreshore. A long seafront path. Look for sea-eagles, terns and shorebirds.

Council and BirdLife Townsville publish a guide to accessible birding places.

A white ibis with a black head stands at the water’s edge, with a long road bridge and hills across the river.
An Australian White Ibis on the bank of the Ross River. Photo: Naga G.
A small turtle rests on a pale log in a still pond that reflects palms and large leafy plants.
A turtle basking on a log in a pond at the Townsville Palmetum. Photo: Naga G.

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