Your specialist birding guide will show you a diverse selection of key birds in a wide range of habitats (riverine forest, dry sclerophyll woodland, coastal heath) at Australia’s oldest national park. This extensive and diverse park has so much to offer and it’s location on Sydney’s southern edge will allow you to experience an excellent snapshot of Australia’s bush and birds in the space of a single day.
There are plenty of scenic vistas and comfortable walks all easily accessible by car.
Birds you may see include Crimson Rosella, Australian King-parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Azure Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Superb Fairy-wren, treecreepers, fantails, finches. Several key regional target species are also possible in the park, including NSW’s only endemic bird, the enigmatic Rockwarbler. Superb Lyrebirds are readily seen, heath specialists like Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, wet forest summer migrants, and an excellent array of parrots.
There is a good chance of Tawny Frogmouth, Powerful Owl as well as gliders if we go spotlighting.
Length of Tour: Day Tour
Meals included: Morning Tea and Lunch
There is a diverse selection of key birds in a wide range of habitats (riverine forest, dry sclerophyll woodland, wetlands and non-native grasslands) around the surprisingly bird-rich expanse of Western Sydney. We will visit some of the last remaining stretches of Cumberland Plain Woodland which provides invaluable habitat to a fantastic array of species not seen elsewhere in Sydney.
All the sites we visit are easily accessible by car, involve short walks, and often birding from vehicle. This tour is a great option for those who want to maximise the number of species they can add to their lists in a single day. In Autumn/Winter a day list of 70 is possible, and in Spring/Summer over 100 species!
Birds you may see include Rainbow Lorikeet, Eastern Rosella, Red-rumped Parrot, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Laughing Kookaburra, Superb Fairy-wren, Bell Miners and an array of honeyeaters, cockatoos, finches and waterbirds. Some of the highlight species for this tour include Crested Shriketit, Pink-eared Duck, raptors, cuckoos and songlarks.
Eastern Grey Kangaroos may be seen during the day and there are good spotlighting opportunities around Mitchell Park and Cattai where Powerful Owls are a possibility.
Length of Tour: Day Tour
Meals included: Morning Tea and Lunch
This tour is a great option for those looking for a more laid-back experience with some great scenic opportunities, local Aboriginal cultural sites, wildflowers, but of course, some fantastic birds as well. We will visit heathy ridgelands, wet forest gullies and coastal rock platforms. This tour is a good chance to see heath species, bush birds, honeyeaters, summer migrants, and waders.
Length of Tour: Day Tour
Meals included: Morning Tea and Lunch
This tour is perfect for those with limited time who want to get a real taste of Australian birds and bush without leaving the city. We will visit several excellent sites that demonstrate just how accessible and diverse birding can be in the harbour city. Some of the key species we will look for include the imposing Powerful Owl, enigmatic Tawny Frogmouth, dainty Red-necked Avocet, and secretive Eastern Whipbird, alongside a host of forest passerines and larger wetland specialists. This can be a very flexible tour for those with particular targets or depending on the season.
Meals included: Morning Tea and Lunch
This tour is an excellent option for those looking to see a wide variety of species in a short time, and visit the World Heritage Blue Mountains National Park. We will start in the foothills of the Hawkesbury with an excellent dawn chorus, before moving through remnant Sydney woodland on to some of the key wetlands in Western Sydney. Along the way we will visit some of the rural lanes and fields around the colonial town of Windsor which hold a surprising number of species, especially raptors.
After a lunch stop in Windsor or Springwood, we will climb upwards through the lower Blue Mountains, visiting several valleys and ridges, before reaching comfortable accommodation at the highest point of the mountains, Blackheath.
For those willing, we can spotlight at a few different sites for owls, nightjars and marsupials.
The next day we will visit the expanse of the Megalong Valley. Afterwards we will visit some new sites to clean up as many of the species the Blue Mountains is known for.
Length of Tour: Two Day Tour
Meals included: Day 1: Morning Tea, Lunch, Dinner / Day 2: Breakfast, Morning Tea, Lunch
The Hunter Valley is arguably one of the best regions in Australia for birding. More than 450 species have been recorded in its geographic boundaries (including seabirds). To reach the region’s coastal centre of Newcastle, we will travel north from Sydney along one of the world’s more scenic major highways. Along the way we will stop in wet forest, and wetlands, before reaching the major swamps of Hexham and Ash Island. These sites can prove hit and miss, but always provide a good array of species. From here it’s just a quick drive over to the mouth of the Hunter Estuary where we can experience fantastic flocks of waders, with many species of migratory wader present. The Hunter Estuary is an invaluable site for migratory waders along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
From here we will head west and then north up to the foothills of Barrington Tops. The World Heritage Area protects ancient beech forest as well as large expanses of tall sclerophyll forest and rainforest gullies. The forests here mark the southern edge of many typically northern species ranges. Including Paradise Riflebird, Pale Yellow Robin, Russet-tailed Thrush and Spectacled Monarch. We will stay overnight at a Wilderness Lodge with excellent spotlighting right on the doorstep.
On our last day, after a full morning’s birding in the rainforest and foothills, we’ll head for the threatened woodlands of the lower Hunter. Here we should add a host of more ‘western’ species and sandstone-country birds, before making our way back to Sydney.
Length of Tour: Two Day Tour
Meals included: Day 1: Morning Tea, Lunch, Dinner / Day 2: Breakfast, Morning Tea, Lunch
From Sydney we will drive south, visiting several sites in the Southern Highlands, before reaching the area of Budderoo Plateau and Barren Grounds Nature Reserve. We will spend much of the day here, before heading south to Jervis Bay, visiting some of the scenic coastal areas of heath and estuaries. We will spend the night at some scenic and homely accomodation
The next morning we will bird again around Budderoo, before heading back to Sydney for midday.
Length of Tour: 1.5 Day Tour
Meals included: Day 1: Morning Tea, Lunch, Dinner / Day 2: Breakfast, Morning Tea
For the multi day tours and longer you can combine several of the options above or contact us to create a personalised tour with Inala.
As outlined in each itinerary.
As outlined in each itinerary.
There are terms and conditions relating to payments, cancellations, refunds, insurance and responsibility for our tours.
Inala Nature
320 Cloudy Bay Road, Lunawanna
South Bruny Island 7150
Tasmania, Australia
Travel Vault policy certificate number:
EV2203UKFI0166
Phone: +61 3 6293 1217
Inala Nature acknowledge and pay respects to the palawa people as the traditional and original owners, and continuing custodians of this land, lutruwita, and acknowledges Elders - past and present. Inala Nature Tours and the Inala Foundation Inc are located on lunawanna- alonnah, also known as Bruny Island, the traditional land of the Nuenonne people.
