Kimberley Western Australia
The Kimberley region in the tropical north of Western Australia comprises 420,000 square kilometres of rugged ranges, savannas and pristine coastlines. It includes important shorebird sites on mainland beaches (link to Broome Birds) and offshore reefs and islands, and the north Australian birds of the bush and desert.
Photo: Mangroves surround the bays and islands of the Kimberley. This Red-headed Honeyeater was photographed in mangroves at Broome.
Water is key to life in the tropical Kimberley. Here Brolgas feed at Cockatoo Creek, a tributary of the Fitzroy river,
Thousands of Plumed Whistling-Ducks fly in formations across Broome, searching for new feeding grounds.
Black Kites are a common sight in the Kimberley skies and 21 of Australia’s 24 raptor species can be seen in the region.
The graceful Australian Pratincole at a waterhole. These Pratincoles are often seen in open grasslands but never far from water.
The northern coastal mangroves are home to a unique range of birds including this Yellow White-eye.
The Broad-billed Flycatcher is another northern mangrove specialist, seen here combing mangrove shoots for insects.
The Mangrove Golden Whistler is seen in mangroves across the northern parts of Australia. This female shows more subdued colouring than the male which looks more like the male Golden Whistler seen across most of Australia.
The open plains of the Kimberly are home to eleven of Australia’s finch species (link to Australian Finches). Above a flock of noisy Zebra Finches wait their turn for a drink.
Red-winged Parrots are birds of the forests and woodlands, feeding on fruit, seeds, nectar and insects.
The Little Friarbird is the most common of the larger honeyeaters in Broome gardens.
A Red-breasted Babbler leads its family group of eight birds in their communal nest building.
This Great Bowerbird takes a drink at the Broome Bird Observatory on the shores of Roebuck Bay, one of the world’s great shorebird feeding grounds.
The Red-collared Lorikeet is the Kimberly and Northern Territory representative of the Rainbow Lorikeet family.
This Brush Cuckoo is one of three species of Cuckoo photographed at Broome Golf Course on the same day. There were also Pallid Cuckoos and Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoos present.
The Blue-winged Kookaburra is smaller than the Laughing Kookaburra but it’s call is sometimes described as maniacal and demonic!