Exotic Bird Watching Holidays in the Daintree Rainforest

One of the most popular destinations in Australia for bird watching holidays is the Daintree National Park, found in the northeastern tip of the country. This dense area of rainforest is part of Australia’s Wet Tropics environment and one of the UN’s World Heritage sites. The Daintree Rainforest is one of the world’s most ancient ecosystems, and nature lovers will be transported back to prehistoric times as they enter the Daintree’s dense forest in search of its diverse flora and fauna.

Land of the Dinosaurs

To date, the Daintree is home to over 18,000 different recorded species of plants, and some of the trees that make up the forest’s dense canopy are more than 2500 years old. The wildlife and bird population makes this particular rainforest a dream destination for nature lovers. Bird watching holidays to this superb environment will make participants feel as if they are walking through prehistoric times - with colourful parrots and sightings of rare, elusive avian species just some of the highlights. Scientific Importance

The Daintree National Park is widely considered by the scientific community as one of the world’s most biologically valuable areas, due to its concentrated and incredibly high levels of biodiversity and endemism. It is literally one of the oldest rainforests on the planet, and the wildlife and plant species that have lived there since the age of the dinosaurs have enjoyed a relatively unchanged environment.

Birding Paradise

Bird watching holidays to the Daintree forest are a unique experience. Beyond the beautiful Australian Swiftlets seen both at dusk and dawn, and the colourful population of parrots, there are numerous, somewhat more rare species of birds that may be sighted. During the warmer months the magnificent Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher can be seen; it is easily recognised by its distinctive blue-black wings, brilliant orange underside and long white tail. Throughout the year the Orange-footed Scrubfowl is frequently sighted building giant nests of made of sticks, dirt and leaves in which to incubate its eggs.

An Elusive Sighting

Many visitors to the Daintree on bird watching holidays hope to catch sight of the famous, but rare, Cassowary. This bird, which is similar in size to an Emu, is black with a brilliantly coloured head. The Cassowary is considered a ‘keystone species’ as it is vital to the ecosystem of the Daintree National Park. It is the only bird capable of dispersing the larger rainforest seeds, due to its diet of predominantly fruits collected from the forest floor. Sadly these creatures are slowly declining in numbers due to habitat loss and urban movement.

Daintree National Park is a must see for nature lovers, budding botanists and avian enthusiasts alike. This unique environment truly is as close to time travel as a nature lover can get and offers up an once-in-a-lifetime prehistoric experience.

Marissa Ellis-Snow is a freelance nature writer. If you’re looking for bird watching holidays, Naturetrek specialises in expert-led natural history and wildlife tours worldwide. Naturetrek brings over 25 years of experience to polar expeditions and tours to other spectacular regions on Earth.

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