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Contact Call
Hasties Swamp monthly bird survey: April 2026
Monthly bird survey at Hasties Swamp records 49 species despite wet weather, highlighting strong volunteer participation, diverse Tablelands birdlife, and notable sightings including Grey Goshawk and Superb Fruit-dove.
Peter Valentine
Apr 135 min read
Tracking change in the Wet Tropics: what long-term bowerbird monitoring is revealing
In the Wet Tropics of Far North Queensland, BirdLife Northern Queensland has been undertaking exactly this kind of work through long-term monitoring of bowerbirds and other rainforest specialists – species that are difficult to survey, but potentially sensitive indicators of environmental change.
Dominic Chaplin
Feb 264 min read
Emergency conservation action for owl survival
Recently in Perth, Western Australia (WA) many dead Masked Owls were tested, and all were found to have these SGAR chemicals in their bodies. Other countries banned these chemicals long ago, but Australia has a pathetic excuse for a pesticide control system: the Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicine Authority (APVMA), the members of which represent the commercial interests of the manufacturers and sellers of these deadly chemicals.
Peter Valentine
Feb 254 min read
From boardwalks to bush tracks: Discover our new Wet Tropics Birding Guide
BirdLife Northern Queensland is delighted to launch a new Birds With Altitude (BWA) Project Guide to Birding Locations in the Wet Tropics Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA). From smooth, wheelchair-accessible boardwalks to rugged rainforest tracks, this Guide opens the door to birding opportunities for everyone.
Ceri Pearce
Feb 102 min read
Despatches from across the ditch 4: A New Zealand Dotterel
I have been working on an article on the recent survey in New Zealand of the Australasian Bittern. However, the final data from the survey has not been forthcoming and in the interim I am presenting a review of an interesting endemic New Zealand species.
Gary & Robyn Wilson
Feb 64 min read
Hasties-a-go-go!
On Friday, 6 June 2025, BirdLife Northern Queensland (BLNQ) members undertook their regular monthly bird survey, usually held on the first Friday of each month, at Hasties Swamp National Park on the Atherton Tablelands. The survey report by Lesley Deacon was published in Contact Call in July 2025.
Denis Walls
Jan 303 min read
Hasties Swamp monthly bird survey: December 2025
While coastal weather conditions were hot, humid and rainy, the Tablelands began summer with quite mild conditions. A couple of nasty storms caused some vegetation damage, but the heavy rain that came with the patchy storms was welcome after a very dry spring.
Lesley Deacon
Jan 203 min read
Hasties Swamp monthly bird survey: November 2025
What a beautiful morning and great birding we had for the November 2025 survey. Late spring is by far the most agreeable time to be birding at Hasties. There was clear, warm weather and with water levels continuing to recede there were waders aplenty.
Lesley Deacon
Jan 163 min read
Birds With Altitude Campout: October 2025
We attended the BWA campout held on the long weekend of 3 – 6 October 2025. This was based at the South Johnstone Forestry Camp on K-tree Road, in the Misty Mountains section of Wooroonooran National Park.
Lindsay Fisher
Dec 24, 20255 min read
To Perth for the 2025 Australasian Ornithological Conference!
The three-day Conference was held at the University of Western Australia’s School of Business Studies, and over 450 delegates attended from Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.
Lindsay Fisher
Dec 12, 20254 min read
The Birds With Altitude Project: Citizen science monitoring in the Wet Tropics
In June 2022, BirdLife Northern Queensland, with the support of BirdLife Australia, secured a $10,747 Queensland Government Sustainability Action Grant to initiate bird monitoring activities in Wooroonooran National Park, which spans 114,900 hectares of pristine rainforest.
Ceri Pearce
Oct 30, 20255 min read
Hasties Swamp monthly bird survey: October 2025
A bright spring morning brought record numbers of birders to Hasties Swamp for October’s survey, with lively sightings despite receding water levels. Highlights included Wandering Whistling-Duck, Australasian Grebe, and returning migrants like the Channel-billed Cuckoo and Sacred Kingfisher. Sixty species were tallied amid nesting activity and cheerful camaraderie.
Lesley Deacon
Oct 22, 20253 min read
Recent literature about north Queensland birds: October 2025
New research insights from North Queensland – From cassowaries and kookaburras to hornbills and squatter pigeons, Don Franklin’s latest roundup highlights rare discoveries, new species records, and fascinating bird behaviour across northern Australia.
Don Franklin
Oct 17, 20257 min read
The mighty miniature of the Wet Tropics – Meet the Mountain Thornbill
If ever a bird proves great things come in small packages, it’s the Mountain Thornbill. Endemic to Queensland’s Wet Tropics, this little bundle of feathers tips the scales at just 5-8 grams – about the same as one or two teaspoons of sugar – and measures only 10–10.5 cm from bill to tail.
Ceri Pearce
Oct 7, 20256 min read
Hasties Swamp monthly bird survey: September 2025
Our first spring outing for the year presented us with a dreary overcast morning. The water was perfectly still and reflective and the grey skies with their background of glare gave bird silhouettes rather than distinct viewings.
Lesley Deacon
Oct 1, 20253 min read
Conservation Matters
Concerns for Australia’s migratory Swifts: For many years the observations of citizen scientists and birders have been compiled by Michael Tarburton, who would generously produce annual reports on each species, and occasionally write updates and other information summaries. This year Michael announced that he is no longer going to compile the data as the evidence he was seeking is now clear: both species are in serious decline.
Peter Valentine
Oct 1, 20257 min read
Warrina Lakes monthly birding outing: September 2025
Warrina Lakes equals a mere 0.0000019% of Australia’s landmass – yet it hosts an astonishing slice of our national birdlife: truly a case of “punching above its weight” in the birds-per-hectare stakes!
Guest Contributor
Sep 17, 20253 min read
Old friends and new places - Our Grasswrens in May 2025
In late October–November 2023, extensive wildfires swept through the core areas for Carpentarian Grasswrens, north-west of Mount Isa in outback Queensland. BirdLife Northern Queensland has been monitoring both Carpentarian and Kalkadoon Grasswrens in that area for several years now, so we have a good baseline of just where we can find groups of both species.
Kath Shurcliff
Sep 1, 20254 min read
Hasties Swamp monthly bird survey: August 2025
On the 1st of August I suspect most of us wanted to stay home dry and warm: but instead, five of the faithful gathered at Hasties at 7:00 am to the sound of rain on the roof of the bird hide. There was a lovely misty feel to the day as well as rain. Photography was difficult because of the prevailing conditions at the time of our survey.
Peter Valentine
Aug 6, 20255 min read
Where are our Cranes?
The Crane Count is one of the longest running citizen science projects in Australia, now entering its 27th year. The Atherton Tablelands has hosted both species of Australia’s cranes with records dating back to around the 1920’s for Brolga and 1967 for Sarus.
Ed Bell
Aug 5, 20254 min read
Contact Call archive
Contact Call has been our quarterly newsletter full of great articles about birds, birding, conservation, and opportunities to get involved since 1994. Even though Contact Call is 'going digital', you can still access a full archive of past editions here:
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