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Overview
Immediately to the west of Cairns, the land rises rapidly into a range of mountains and a large plateau known as the Atherton Tablelands. This is an area of very high biodiversity and contains a number of species of birds and other wildlife, much of which is not found on the coast in or around Cairns. Sadly, most of the rainforest that once clothed this plateau is now completely gone; converted into open farmland. However, much of what remains is protected and still harbours many interesting species. All of the Wet Tropics' endemic bird species are found here for example.
Much of the Tablelands consists of rolling farmland, both pasture and cultivated, dotted with small towns and numerous isolated patches of forest. There are also much larger areas of forest on the surrounding ranges. Most of the tablelands receive high rainfall, but there is an area of drier country stretching from Mareeba in the south to Mount Molly in the north. A whole different range of species can be found in this drier area.
Birds
Notable Species
A large number of bird species can be seen on the Tablelands including twelve found nowhere else. More than 370 species occur in the region.
The Tablelands' endemic species are as follows: Fernwren, Atherton Scrubwren, Mountain Thornbill, Bridled Honeyeater, Macleay's Honeyeater, Grey-headed Robin, Chowchilla, Bower's Shrike Thrush, Pied Monarch, Victoria's Riflebird, Golden Bowerbird, Tooth-billed Bowerbird.
Other specialities of the region include: Southern Cassowary, Emu, Brown Quail, King Quail, Plumed Whistling Duck, Magpie Goose, Green Pygmy Goose, Pink-eared Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Australasian Grebe, Little Pied Cormorant, Black-necked Stork, White-necked Heron, Black-shouldered Kite, Whistling Kite, Grey Goshawk, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Spotted Harrier, Brown Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel, Sarus Crane, Brolga, Red-necked Crake, Pale-vented Bush-Hen, Purple Swamphen, Eurasian Coot, Australian Bustard, Painted Button-Quail, Latham's Snipe, Australian Painted Snipe, Comb-crested Jacana, Bar-shouldered Dove, Brown Cuckoo Dove, Topknot Pigeon, White-headed Pigeon, Crested Pigeon, Squatter Pigeon, superb Fruit Dove, Rose-crowned Fruit Dove, Wompoo Fruit Dove, Emerald Dove, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Australian King Parrot, Red-winged Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Pale-headed Rosella, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo, Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo, Shining Bronze Cuckoo, Pacific Koel, Pheasant Coucal, Barking Owl, Rufous Owl, Lesser Sooty Owl, Pacific Barn Owl, Tawny Frogmouth, Papuan Frogmouth, Large-tailed Nightjar, White-throated Needletail, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Azure Kingfisher, Little Kingfisher, Forest Kingfisher, Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Noisy Pitta,
Rarities
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Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
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Other Wildlife
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Site Information
History and Use
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Areas of Interest
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Access and Facilities
The Tablelands can be accessed by road directly from Cairns. Three switchback roads that wind their way up into the hills at various points along the coast give access to different parts of the Tablelands. Several buses a day run between Cairns and the town of Kuranda, with less frequent services running to Mareeba and the town of Atherton. Various wildlife and birding tours are also available to the Tablelands.
There are numerous small settlements on the Tablelands that have cafes and restaurants as well as the usual supermarkets and newsagents. There is also a fairly well-developed tourist infrastructure for sightseers looking for souvenirs. A number of national parks and smaller reserves have facilities ranging from restaurants, cafes, and accommodation in some places, to nothing at all in others.
Many birders choose to base themselves on the Tablelands and bird the surrounding area. Popular with birders are Cassowary House (on the Black Mountain Road near Kuranda), Kingfisher Park near Julatten and Chambers Wildlife Lodge near Lake Eacham; but numerous other locations offer accommodation as well.
Contact Details
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External Links
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