Mareeba Wetlands

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Australia, Queensland

Overview

This popular birding destination is located near the township of Mareeba, hence the name. However, note that it is a private nature reserve and not a public area to drive in. Visiting requires an overnight booking at the property. Here, visiting birders can experience a good range of dry country species within easy reach of Cairns. Most of the site consists of open tropical savanna woodland and grassland. This site also has extensive wetlands consisting of eight interconnected lagoons, further enhancing its birding appeal. A number of species can be viewed here more easily than other sites, such as the scarce local race of the Brown Treecreeper.

Birds

Notable Species

Species regularly seen here include Emu, Brown Quail, King Quail, Black Swan, Magpie Goose, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Green Pygmy Goose, Hardhead, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, Australian Darter, Little Black Cormorant, Little Pied Cormorant, Black-necked Stork, Australian Pelican, White-necked Heron, White-faced Heron, Glossy Ibis, Royal Spoonbill, Black-shouldered Kite, Whistling Kite, Black-breasted Buzzard, Brown Goshawk, Spotted Harrier, Brown Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel, Australian Hobby, Sarus Crane, Brolga, Pale-vented Bush-hen, Dusky Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Australian Bustard, Comb-crested Jacana, Australian Pratincole, Whiskered Tern, Bar-shouldered Dove, Squatter Pigeon, Crested Pigeon, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Red-winged Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Brush Cuckoo, Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo, Pheasant Coucal, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Forest Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Dollarbird, Brown Treecreeper, Red-backed Fairywren, Little Friarbird, Noisy Friarbird, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Brown-backed Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Grey-crowned Babbler, Varied Sittella, Rufous Whistler, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, White-winged Triller, Olive-backed Oriole, White-breasted Woodswallow, Australian Magpie, Spangled Drongo, Torresian Crow, Double-barred Finch, Black-throated Finch, Gouldian Finch, Mistletoebird, Welcome Swallow, Tawny Grassbird and Golden-headed Cisticola.

The endangered Buff-breasted Buttonquail was once thought to be present on the reserve but recent research from 2023 has shown it was being mistaken for the painted button quail.

Rarities

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Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

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Other Wildlife

Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Euro, and Agile Wallaby are abundant on the reserve and can be readily observed. Northern Quoll is also present and is known to regularly visit the decking area in the late evenings. Water Rat occurs in the wetland areas. Other mammals include Echidna, Brush-tailed Possum, and Dingo.

Reptiles found here include Frilled Lizard, Lace Monitor, Yellow-spotted Monitor, Black-headed Python, Eastern Brown Snake and Northern Death Adder. Arafura File Snake occurs in the lagoons. A small reintroduced population of Freshwater Crocodile, also occurs here.

Huge Termite mounds dot the reserve as a testament to their abundance in these northern woodlands.

Site Information

History and Use

Mareeba Wetlands is a 2200-hectare reserve established by the Mareeba Wetland Foundation and the Queensland Government in the early 1990s. The property closed in 2017, and then was taken over in 2018 by Forever Wild, who worked with the Qld Government to have the property formally gazetted as a Conservation Reserve in 2020 and reestablish the management and revenues. The Tropical Wetlands is a private reserve, it is not public nor funded by government.

The Muluridji people were granted native title over the reserve in December 2011 and intend to work with Forever Wild on land management. In 2023 a small lodge called Wild Nature Lodge was opened. To visit the Tropical Wetlands of Mareeba you require an overnight booking. Alternatively, you can contact the lodge as there are some tour operators who have access.

Areas of Interest

The entire site has something of interest to visiting birders. Access is via Pickford Road which branches off from the main highway. The entrance road itself can produce great birds. Check ploughed fields for Plovers (including Oriental) and Pratincoles; water channels for Herons, Ibises and Crakes; and grassy paddocks for Bustards. Scan the air and exposed branches for Birds of Prey; the dry bush along this entrance road, both before and after the entrance sign can hold good numbers of dry country birds. Birders should be prepared to stop regularly and scan the surroundings.

To access the actual reserve however, requires a booking. As it is private property, going past the gate without a booking is not allowed.

Access and Facilities

The reserve lies just to the north of Mareeba township and is only an hour from Cairns following the Kennedy Highway. Take the Peninsula Development Road north of Mareeba or south from Mount Molloy. About 7kms north of Mareeba turn off the highway on to Pickford Road. The road is mostly unsealed but is generally easily drivable in a normal vehicle, though conditions can deteriorate after rain. There are low bridges over creeks which can flood after heavy rain.

The Wild Nature Lodge is typically closed during the summer months. It may still possible during this time however to bird the access road up to the reserve entrance, however bear in the mind the road can flood.

Contact Details

Wild Nature Lodge (https://www.booking.com/hotel/au/wild-nature-escapes.en-gb.html])

Forever Wild (for general enquiries about the Reserve, foreverwild.earth) Note that Forever Wild do not run the tourism, nor deal with the lodge so will notbe able to answer questions on access to the lodge.

Search for photos of Mareeba Wetlands in the gallery

External Links

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