Birds of Byron

Byron at Byron is set within 45-acres of lush rainforest and has been designed and built with care and concern for this unique environment.

Since opening, a dedicated, experienced regeneration team has been in place to restore the native plant communities on an ongoing basis. Many species of birds and native plants, several species of reptiles and amphibians and one macropod species (swamp wallaby) have been identified within the resort grounds.

There are three main plant communities on the site; Bangalow Palm rainforest (lowland subtropical rainforest on floodplain), Paperbark forest (swamp sclerophyll forest on coastal floodplain), and Coastal Cypress Pine forest.

Here is a list of the many bird species located within the various forest types and has been designed to help you bird watch within the resort.

Don’t forget to look up into the trees as you walk about – the view is quite amazing. And also take the time to simply stand, be still and absorb the sights and sounds of these unique forests.

Keep a lookout for interpretive signage positioned at intervals throughout the rainforest.

Birds of the waterways and environs

Darters, Cormorants and Pelicans

Darter - Has stiletto bill and snake-like neck. Eats fish.

Little Pied Cormorant - Black and white waterbird. Swims underwater.

Little Black Cormorant - All black small cormorant. Swims underwater.

Australian Pelican - Familiar pelican.

Ducks

Australian Wood Duck - Male has dark chocolate coloured head.

Grey Teal - Small duck, mottled grey/brown.

Hardhead Duck (White-eyed) - Male is rich, dark brown with a white, mottled brown lower breast.

Pacific Black Duck - Not black, but brown. Black stripe through eye.

Grebes

Hoary-headed Grebe - A dark bill, tipped with cream. Head with black and white plumes. It has a dark grey back, occasionally brownish; pale buff chest and underparts silky white.

Kingfishers and Bee-eaters

Azure Kingfisher - A beautiful kingfisher with violet-blue upper parts and pale throat.

Laughing Kookaburra - Australia’s iconic large kingfisher. Classic “laugh”.

Sacred Kingfisher - Small kingfisher. White underparts, blue/green on head and black.

Rainbow Bee-eater - Gorgeous colourful blue, green and orange bird with slightly curved black bill and extended shafts to central tail feather.

Native-hens, Swamphens and Coots

Bush-hen - A rare bird which is often heard but not seen. It inhabits rainforest fringes, swamps and flooded grasslands.

Dusky Moorhen - Waterbird with yellowtipped red bill. Flicks tail.

Eurasian Coot - A dark slate-grey bird with a white frontal shield. It inhabits swamps and open lakes.

Purple Swamphen - Common land bird of water margins. Large bird with red bill and long red legs, blue breast, black nape and back.

Storks, Ibis and Spoonbills

Royal Spoonbill - A large white bird with a distinctive black spoon-shaped bill. It inhabits fresh and saltwater wetlands including intertidal flats.

Straw-necked Ibis - Bare head, bill and upper neck black. Back, tail and wings black with metallic sheen. Belly and neck white.

Australian White Ibis - Bare black head and downward curving black bill.

Herons and Bitterns

Black Bittern - This uncommon bird can sometimes be seen foraging in short marshy vegetation and along creeks through shrubs and low forest.

Great Egret - Large graceful white heron.

Nankeen Night Heron - Mainly nocturnal heron but often seen during the day near the ponds. Rufous above, paler underparts

White-faced Heron - Pale grey heron with white face and yellow legs.

Swans

Black Swan - A very large black bird with long slender neck, red beak and white tipped wings.

Waders Black-winged Stilt - Elegant black and white wading bird with long pink legs, and thin pointed bill.

Masked Lapwing - Plover with black crown, yellow-masked face, brown back. Penetrating call.

Birds of the forest, woodlands and environs

Catbirds and Bowerbirds

Green Catbird - Robust, green denizen of the rainforest. Sounds like a kitten or baby crying. More often heard than seen.

Regent Bower Bird - The male is a distinctive black and gold bird. The female is mottled and scalloped grey-brown. It frequents rainforests and nearby areas.

Cockatoos and Parrots

Australian King Parrot - Distinctive large bird. Male has brilliant scarlet head and chest, green back, blue rump and blackishblue tail.

Eastern Rosella - Multi-coloured parrot with red head, white cheek, yellow and green breast and blue wing edges.

Rainbow Lorikeet - Colourful, “rainbowlike” lorikeet. Usually in groups. Scaly-breasted Lorikeet - Smaller lorikeet. Red bill and yellow pattern and green chest. Often with Rainbow Lorikeets.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo - White cockatoo with yellow head crest. Loud, raucous calls.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo - A large, beautiful black bird with yellow tail panels and cheek patches. Most of its body feathers are edged with yellow. It has a distinctive wailing call.

Crows

Torresian Crow - All black, large stout bill and white eye.

Cuckoos

Fan-tailed Cuckoo - Slate-grey above with pale rufous chest. Barred tail feathers and yellow eye ring.

Shining Bronze Cuckoo - Barred chest and abdomen. Bronze-green back.

Common Koel - Large blue/black cuckoo, red eye, far carrying “coo....eee” call. Summer migrant.

Cuckoo-shrikes and Orioles Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike - Soft grey bird, black face and throat.

Varied Triller - Black and white bird with white eyebrow and wing-bars. Finely barred chest.

Olive-backed Oriole - Boldly streaked chest, red bill and eye.

Figbird - Common bird of area. Male has red facial patch. Female is dark brown with bold streaking.

Dollar Birds

Dollar Bird - A colourful bird with red bill and legs, brown upper parts, blue throat and green-blue wings. Characteristic white “dollar bill” patches on wings in flight.

Fairy-wrens and Pardalotes

Red-backed Wren - The male has a crimson to bright orange-red lower back and rump. Female brownish.

Striated Pardalote - Hard to see little bird with stubby bill. Constant “chip...chip’’ call.

Variegated Fairy-wren - Beautiful, tiny wren. Male is colourful blue and black, female is brownish.

Flycatchers and Drongos

Leaden Flycatcher - Male, glossy blue/ grey above and on upper chest. Female has rufous throat.

Grey Fantail - This little bird fans tail to disturb insects.

Willie Wagtail - Familiar black and white favourite. Wags tail from side to side. Call: “sweet-pretty-creature”.

Spangled Drongo - Unmistakable black bird with long fish-shaped tail.

Frogmouths, Owlet-nightjars and Nightjars

Tawny Frogmouth - This bird is more often heard that seen, as it is active at night. When roosting during the day, it sits stiff and upright and blends so well with its environment that it is difficult to see.

Honeyeaters

Blue-faced Honeyeater - Large honeyeater. Blue face in adults and green face in immatures. Olive green back.

Brown Honeyeater - Small, plain brown honeyeater with a melodious voice.

Brush Wattlebird - Large honeyeater. Rufous patch in wing in flight.

Lewin’s Honeyeater - Dark grey honeyeater has half moon yellow ear-patch.

Noisy Friarbird - Sometimes called “leatherhead” because of bare head. Has diagnostic knob on bill.

Noisy Miner - Common bird in suburban gardens. Pale grey, yellow bill, black face and tail tipped white.

Red Wattlebird - A grey-brown bird with white streaks, blackish crown and silverywhite face and dark, pink, pendulous wattle at ear.

Scarlet Honeyeater - Tiny honeyeater, red head and upperparts. Likes bottlebrush.

White-cheeked Honeyeater - Streaked black and white honeyeater, yellow blaze in wing. Often found in banksias.

Magpies and Butcherbirds 

Grey Butcherbird - Finely-hooked bill, silvergrey back, black head. Loud mellow piping call. Preys on small birds.

Pied Butcherbird - Black and white butcherbird. Hooded black head. Call superb slow, flutelike mellow notes.

Australian Magpie - Familiar Australian bird. Forages on ground. Call beautiful rich, mellow carolling.

Pied Currawong - Large black bird with white patches in wing.

Mistletoebirds and Swallows

Mistletoebird - Tiny navy and red bird that feeds exclusively on mistletoe berries. Female is light grey.

Welcome Swallow - Fork-tailed swallow flying around pool area and carpark. Builds cup-shaped mud nest.

Silvereye - Pretty little green and grey bird, usually in flocks. Has very noticeable white eye-ring.

Mound-builders

Australian Brush-turkey - Ground dwelling megapode. Builds huge mound of leaf and litter to incubate eggs.

Mud-nesters

Australian Magpie-lark (Peewee) - Commonly seen black and white bird.

Pigeons and Doves

Spotted Turtle-dove - Introduced species. Black and white nape. Bright pink legs. Feeds on ground.

Brown Cuckoo-dove - Graceful, long-tailed rainforest pigeon. Bar-shouldered

Dove - Softly coloured dove. Copper nape edged black.

Peaceful Dove - Small greyish dove with blue-grey face and fine black streaks on the crown; black bars on the back, wings and breast.

White-headed Pigeon - A large pigeon with white head and breast; back, wings and tail black with glossy margins to the feathers. Lower breast, abdomen and undertail grey.

Pittas, Lyrebirds and Scrub-birds

Noisy Pitta - A colourful bird with black head and throat, chestnut crown, rich green above; shoulders, rump turquoise and buff below. Can occasionally be seen on the ground in the rainforest.

Robins and Whipbirds

Eastern Yellow Robin - Bright yellow and soft grey robin. Often approaches.

Eastern Whipbird - Familiar “whipcrack” call heard ringing through the rainforest. Dark olive with crest.

Scrubwrens

hite-browed Scrubwren - Small brown bird, found low in dense vine tangles.

Large-billed Scrubwren - Small plain brown bird. Big dark eyes.

Brown Thornbill - Tiny little bird with streaked chest.

Whistlers and Shrike-thrush

Golden Whistler - Male beautiful gold and black with white throat. Female plain grey. Breeds in rainforest.

Rufous Whistler - Male, rufous under, grey on back, white throat. Female has streaked chest. Open habitat.

Grey Shrike-thrush - Plain light grey. Its song is melodious, hence scientific name harmonica.

Birds of prey

Brown Goshawk - Powerful yellow-eyed hawk. Preys on small birds.

Brahminy Kite - A distinctive bird with white head, neck and breast; body upper surface of flight feathers chestnut red.

Osprey - Fishing hawk. White head and body. Brown back.

Whistling Kite - Head, underparts light brown with pale streaks. Distinctive call.

White-bellied Sea Eagle - A large white bird with a grey back, rump, wings and base of tail. It has a deep goose-like honking or cackling call.

List compiled by Rosemary Joseph based on observations and descriptions supplied by June Harris, Birds Australia Northern NSW Group, 29-30/09/06, and Rosemary Joseph, Ross Joseph, Graham Read, Dennis Sellars and Peter Parker, 2004-2008. References: Christidis and Boles. 1994. The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories; Simpson and Day. 1993. Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Victoria, Australia.