Where to Watch Birds

McMinn's Lagoon

A delightful private reserve is tucked away in the rural area of McMinn's Lagoon. The reserve and surrroundings are maintained by volunteers for the McMinn's Lagoon Reserve Association Incorporated, and donations are gratefully received.

It is a great place to have a picnic lunch with the spotting scopes set up to scan the breadth of the lagoon for water birds. Various bush birds such as Varied Triller, Rufous Whistler, Dollarbird and Forest Kingfisher can be seen in the walk that takes you right around the lagoon.

Other good birding locations to visit in the outer Darwin area are:-

Howard Springs

Fogg Dam

Adelaide River Bridge

Marrakai Track

Experience the Wild tours sometimes visit the reserve while on a day tour and on day one of the Ten Grassfinch tour.

Species seen here recently

Birds ( 58 )

Magpie Goose
Anseranas semipalmata

Plumed Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna eytoni

Wandering Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna arcuata

Radjah Shelduck
Tadorna radjah

Green Pygmy-goose
Nettapus pulchellus

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

Pied Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula bicolor

Australasian Darter
Anhinga novaehollandiae

Little Pied Cormorant
Microcarbo melanoleucos

Little Black Cormorant
Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

Australian Pelican
Pelecanus conspicillatus

Black-necked Stork
Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus

White-necked Heron
Ardea pacifica

Eastern Great Egret
Ardea modesta

Intermediate Egret
Ardea intermedia

Cattle Egret
Ardea ibis

Pied Heron
Egretta picata

Little Egret
Egretta garzetta

Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus

Australian White Ibis
Threskiornis molucca

Straw-necked Ibis
Threskiornis spinicollis

Royal Spoonbill
Platalea regia

Whistling Kite
Haliastur sphenurus

Black Kite
Milvus migrans

Buff-banded Rail
Gallirallus philippensis

Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus

Masked Lapwing
Vanellus miles

Comb-crested Jacana
Irediparra gallinacea

Swinhoe's Snipe
Gallinago megala

Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos

Common Greenshank
Tringa nebularia

Marsh Sandpiper
Tringa stagnatilis

Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus banksii

Red-winged Parrot
Aprosmictus erythropterus

Pheasant Coucal
Centropus phasianinus

Blue-winged Kookaburra
Dacelo leachii

Sacred Kingfisher
Todiramphus sanctus

Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus

Dollarbird
Eurystomus orientalis

White-gaped Honeyeater
Lichenostomus unicolor

Yellow-throated Miner
Manorina flavigula

Brown Honeyeater
Lichmera indistincta

White-throated Honeyeater
Melithreptus albogularis

Little Friarbird
Philemon citreogularis

Varied Triller
Lalage leucomela

Green Oriole
Oriolus flavocinctus

Olive-backed Oriole
Oriolus sagittatus

Spangled Drongo
Dicrurus bracteatus

Northern Fantail
Rhipidura rufiventris

Willie Wagtail
Rhipidura leucophrys

Magpie-lark
Grallina cyanoleuca

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher
Microeca flavigaster

Tree Martin
Petrochelidon nigricans

Butterflies ( 2 )

Varied Eggfly
Hypolymnus bolina

Lesser Wanderer
Danaus chrysippus

Reptiles ( 1 )

Gilbert's Dragon; Ta-ta Lizard
Amphibolurus gilberti