Overview
Broome is located on Roebuck Bay in Western Australia's north-west. The weather is tropical, and only two seasons are recognised - The Wet (November to April) when it is hot and humid and often rainy, and The Dry, when it is warm and dry. In September hundreds of thousands of migratory waders end their journeys from Siberia here, to feast on the smorgasboard offered by the most macrobenthically diverse mudflats in the world. Most of these waders leave in March and April, but the young stay in the bay for a few years before commencing their migration to breeding grounds in Asia.
There are various habitats around Broome - Tidal mudflats, rocky shorelines, mangroves, grass plains and inland lakes. Because of this, over 300 species can be seen in the area. Due to it's position, many vagrant birds also blow in.
Birds
Notable Species
Rarities
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Other Wildlife
Agile Wallaby, Northern Nail-tailed Wallaby, Snubfin Dolphin, Hermit Crab, Flame Fiddler Crab, Ghost Crab, Soldier Crab, Land Crabs, Blue-spotted Mudskipper, Mangrove Mudskipper, Bearded Mudskipper, Pop-eyed Mullet, various other fish, dozens of macrobenthic invertebrates, Frill-necked Lizard, Northern Bluetongue, Asian House Gecko, Spotted Dtella, "Gehyra Australis", Black-headed Monitor, Gould's Monitor, King Brown Snake, Orange-naped Snake, Moon Snake, Black-headed Python, Stimpson's Python, Mangrove Snake
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
Northern Roebuck Bay
Broome Bird Observatory
While eating your meals in the shadehouse, be sure to watch the bird baths just outside. The Shadehouse itself acts as a kind of luxury bird hide. Common birds to be seen from here are Brown Goshawk, Great Bowerbird, Long-tailed Finch, Double-barred Finch, Bar-shouldered Dove, Peaceful Dove, Diamond Dove, Crested Pigeon, Rainbow Bee-eater, Little Friarbird, Brown Honeyeater, Singing Honeyeater, Rufous-throated Honeyeater and Torresian Crow.
Crab Creek Mangroves
Roebuck Plains
Broome Township
Lake Eda, Lake Campion and Taylor's Lagoon
Willie Creek and Barred Creek
Access and Facilities
The best place for birdwatchers to stay in Broome is at the Broome Bird Observatory, located on the northern shore of the bay, about 25km out of the town. If you are bringing your own car you will want a 4WD. The road into the Observatory is sandy and quickly becomes badly corrugated. In the wet season it becomes a muddy river.
The Observatory offers a self-contained chalet, donga bedrooms and unpowered camp sites. The camp kitchen or "Shadehouse" is the meeting place for people staying at the Observatory and a great place to eat your meals while watching various birds and Agile Wallabies at the bird baths just outside. Every night there is a "bird call" where all observations for the day are compiled - you're not obliged to participate, but it's fun and a great way to get an idea of what birds are around.
Activities
Cannon Netting Migration Watch Shorebird Disturbance Monitoring Surveys
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Broome Bird Observatory
Kimberley Birdwatching
Global Flyway Network
