Where to Watch Birds

Leanyer Sewerage Treatment Plant

White-winged Black Terns, Black-winged Stilts and a Wandering Whistling-duck at Leanyer

As with many sewerage treatment plants, Leanyer offers first class birding opportunities.

NT Power and Water state on their website that they are 'proud to manage and support public bird watching at two world-class bird watching facilities, Leanyer ponds in Darwin and Ilparpa ponds in Alice Springs. A number of ornithology books note these sites and they attract tourists from across Australia and around the world. These sites are not always open, and this website should be checked before proceeding to the site.'

Peter Kyne and Mike Jarvis, looking at a White Wagtail which is a rare vagrant to Australia. Photo taken by no other than John Weigel who had flown up to Darwin especially to see this bird, to add it to his '2014 Big Year'.

Access to waste stabilisation ponds has been available to members of the public on completion of an online safety induction and online indemnity form. If you wish to visit this facility as part of a tour with us you will not need to obtain a key as we already have one.

Unfortunately, Power and Water is not currently allowing any bird watchers in to the ponds for administration reasons. We hope this changes in the future but so far a 'softly, softly' approach by local birders to restore the privilege of access to the ponds have been unsuccessful.

We can, however, see many of these species by walking around the outside of the fenceline. To find this location, drive down to the end of Hodgson Drive, Leanyer, park and then continue on foot along a track that takes you through open woodland. Take a left fork to get to low, mangrove and swamp land. Follow the pipeline all the way down to the perimeter fence that surrounds the ponds. You can walk around the outside of the fence and get reasonable views of a good variety of species with a spotting scope. Take care, as the ground is loose and uneven. Under no circumstances climb the fence. Fishermen sometimes do this but it is not acceptable and could jeopardize our chances of ever regaining access.

Birding is good right from the moment you park your car, as you see by the list of sightings here. Check the communication towers in the area as Australian Hobby is often nesting there.

This is not part of a regular itinerary but we regularly call in here when searching for specific target species.

Links below are to other excellent birding locations within the Darwin and Palmerston suburban areas.

East Point Reserve

East Point Mangrove Boardwalk

Leanyer Sewerage Treatment Plant

Holmes Jungle

Knuckey Lagoons

Palmerston Sewerage Ponds

Species seen here recently

Birds ( 99 )

Plumed Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna eytoni

Wandering Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna arcuata

Radjah Shelduck
Tadorna radjah

Pink-eared Duck
Malacorhynchus membranaceus

Grey Teal
Anas gracilis

Pacific Black Duck
Anas superciliosa

Hardhead
Aythya australis

Australasian Grebe
Tachybaptus novaehollandiae

Peaceful Dove
Geopelia striata

Bar-shouldered Dove
Geopelia humeralis

Little Pied Cormorant
Microcarbo melanoleucos

Australian Pelican
Pelecanus conspicillatus

Black-necked Stork
Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus

Black Bittern
Ixobrychus flavicollis

Intermediate Egret
Ardea intermedia

Pied Heron
Egretta picata

Little Egret
Egretta garzetta

Nankeen Night-Heron
Nycticorax caledonicus

Australian White Ibis
Threskiornis molucca

Straw-necked Ibis
Threskiornis spinicollis

Royal Spoonbill
Platalea regia

White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Haliaeetus leucogaster

Whistling Kite
Haliastur sphenurus

Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus

Black Kite
Milvus migrans

Brown Falcon
Falco berigora

Australian Hobby
Falco longipennis

Brolga
Grus rubicunda

Chestnut Rail
Eulabeornis castaneoventris

Buff-banded Rail
Gallirallus philippensis

Eurasian Coot
Fulica atra

Bush Stone-curlew
Burhinus grallarius

Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus

Pacific Golden Plover
Pluvialis fulva

Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubius

Black-fronted Dotterel
Elseyornis melanops

Red-kneed Dotterel
Erythrogonys cinctus

Masked Lapwing
Vanellus miles

Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus

Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos

Common Greenshank
Tringa nebularia

Marsh Sandpiper
Tringa stagnatilis

Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola

Great Knot
Calidris tenuirostris

Red-necked Stint
Calidris ruficollis

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Calidris acuminata

Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferruginea

Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatus

Grey Phalarope
Phalaropus fulicarius

Australian Pratincole
Stiltia isabella

Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica

Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida

White-winged Black Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus

Silver Gull
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus banksii

Galah
Eolophus roseicapillus

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua galerita

Red-collared Lorikeet
Trichoglossus rubritorquis

Varied Lorikeet
Psitteuteles versicolor

Red-winged Parrot
Aprosmictus erythropterus

Pheasant Coucal
Centropus phasianinus

Brush Cuckoo
Cacomantis variolosus

Azure Kingfisher
Ceyx azureus

Forest Kingfisher
Todiramphus macleayii

Collared Kingfisher
Todiramphus chloris

Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus

Great Bowerbird
Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis

Red-backed Fairy-wren
Malurus melanocephalus

Mangrove Gerygone
Gerygone levigaster

White-gaped Honeyeater
Lichenostomus unicolor

Bar-breasted Honeyeater
Ramsayornis fasciatus

Rufous-banded Honeyeater
Conopophila albogularis

Brown Honeyeater
Lichmera indistincta

White-throated Honeyeater
Melithreptus albogularis

Helmeted Friarbird
Philemon buceroides

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Coracina novaehollandiae

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
Coracina papuensis

Varied Triller
Lalage leucomela

Australasian Figbird
Sphecotheres vieilloti

White-breasted Woodswallow
Artamus leucorynchus

Black Butcherbird
Cracticus quoyi

Spangled Drongo
Dicrurus bracteatus

Northern Fantail
Rhipidura rufiventris

Torresian Crow
Corvus orru

Leaden Flycatcher
Myiagra rubecula

Shining Flycatcher
Myiagra alecto

Magpie-lark
Grallina cyanoleuca

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher
Microeca flavigaster

Mangrove Robin
Peneonanthe pulverulenta

Buff-sided Robin
Poecilodryas cerviniventris

Golden-headed Cisticola
Cisticola exilis

Yellow White-eye
Zosterops luteus

Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica

Tree Martin
Petrochelidon nigricans

Double-barred Finch
Taeniopygia bichenovii

Long-tailed Finch
Poephila acuticauda

Crimson Finch
Neochmia phaeton

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Lonchura castaneothorax

White Wagtail
Motacilla alba

Butterflies ( 1 )

Lemon Migrant
Catopsilia pomona

Reptiles ( 2 )

Merten's Water Monitor
Varanus mertensi

Keelback
Tropidonophis mairii