Sensational Birding In Tasmania

Country Info

Australia is the world’s smallest continent with an area of 7,618,000 square kilometers and is located in the Southern Hemisphere. The island nation comprises the mainland, island of Tasmania and several other islands in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean. To its north lie countries like Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea while to its north-east lie countries like Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. New Zealand is the south-eastern neighbor of Australia.

Tasmania is a wild and beautiful island state of Australia which is located about 250 kilometres off the southeastern coast off mainland Australia. The Bass Strait separates the two. The area of Tasmania is 68,401 square kilometers and is the largest among all islands located in the adjacent region. Tasmania is often termed as the ‘Island of inspiration’ because of its largely undisturbed natural heritage. A large part of Tasmania comprises natural reserves, national parks and World Heritage Sites. Capital of Tasmania is Hobart.

Geography

Tasmania is the most mountainous of all the states and provinces in Australia. The Central Highlands cover most of the central western part of the island while the Midlands in central eastern part are comparatively plain. The highest peak in Tasmania is Mount Ossa. The island features dense forest. The Southwest National Park (at Southwest Wilderness) is home to temperate rain forests. The Tarkine wilderness in the north-west has the largest temperate rainforest in Australia. The rugged topography of the island also gives birth to a large number of rivers. Rainfall pattern is complex.

Climate

Tasmania has cool temperate climate. Summer season extends from December to February, Autumn from March to May, Winter in June-July followed by Spring.

Flora

A land of extremely diverse flora, Tasmania witnesses grasslands in the dry Midlands to the tall evergreen Eucalypt forest, alpine heathlands and large temperate rainforests as well as moorlands. The vegetation in the central valley, east coast, and Tasman Pennisula is called ‘dry schlerophyl’ while the eastern highlands and eastern sections of the western highlands are called ‘wet schlerophyl’. Some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world are also seen in Tasmania.

Fauna

Among the various fauna species found in Tasmania, Tasmanian Tiger and Tasmania Devil are noteworthy. Platypuses as well as amphibians are also found here. There are also spotted-tailed Quoll, Bennet’s Wallabies, Southern Brown Bandicoot, Tasmanian Pademelon and Echidna.

Birding in Tasmania

However, it is the avifauna diversity in Tasmania that makes birding a unique experience here. Tasmania has 316 avifauna species of which 12 are endemic and 4 sub-endemic. Some of the endemic bird species of Tasmania are:

• Honeyeaters including Yellow Wattlebird, Black-headed, Strong-billed and Yellow-throated Wattlebirds
• Warblers found in Australia and Papua like Tasmanian Thornbill, Scrubtit and Tasmanian Scrubwren
• Forty-spotted Pardalote
• Black Currawong
• Tasmanian Native-hen
• Emu
• Dusky Robin
• Wadge tailed Eagle
• Tasmanian Thornbill
• Green Rosella

Besides there are also

• Orange-bellied Parrot
• Swift Parrot (These are breeding endemics, i.e., they breed only in Tasmania and migrate to mainland Australia during the non-breeding season)
• Ground Parrot
• Grebe
• Albatross
• Little Penguin
• Petrels (including Cape Petrel, Blue Petrel, Northern Giant Petrel, White-headed Petrels and others)
• Australian Pelican
• Green Rosellas
• Whistling Kite
• Eagles (like White-breasted Sea Eagles and Wadge tailed Eagles)
• Cormorants
• Cape Barren Goose
• Sulphur crested Cuckatoos
• Pink Coockatoos
• Australian Pipits
• Brown Goshawks
• Australasian Gannet
• Pink Robin
• Silvereye
• Australian Magpie
• Tasmanian Forest Raven
• Egrets
• Australian Kestrel
• Sandpipers
• Plover
• Superb Lyrebird

Places of birdwatching in Tasmania

All the bird species endemic to Australia can be found in this island and with much ease. There are a number of suitable places, which can prove worthy for the birdwatchers when it comes to birdwatching. Some of them are:

• Penrhyn Pond/Heron Pond
• Mount Wellington and Wellington Falls
• Peter Murrell Reserve
• Fern Glade Track
• Melaleuca in south-west Tasmania
• Cradle Mountain
• Strahan on the west coast
• Mt Field National Park
• King Island and Cape Barren Islands (these are Barren Strait Islands. Short-tailed shearwater or ‘mutton birds’ are found)
• Rocky islands off the South west Wilderness
• Maria Island off the east coast of Tasmania

How to reach Tasmania

The Hobart international airport is just three hours flight from Sydney and less than an hour from Melbourne. Tasmania can also be reached from Melbourne by overnight ferry journey.

Other attractions at Tasmania:

• Walking in the rain forests
• Visiting the fruit-growing regions like the Huon Valley where apple and pear are grown.
• Visiting penguin colony on the east coast from November to January.

Birding Accommodation in Tasmania:

• Inala, Bruny Island: Web site: http://www.inalabruny.com.au, Email: inala@inalabruny.com.au, Phone/Fax: +61 3 6293 1217
• King Island, Yarra Creek Host Farm: Contact: Ph: 03 6461 1276, International Ph: + 61 3 6461 1276
• Sheoaks on Freycinet: Web site:  http://www.sheoaks.com, Email: sheoaks.bandb@bigpond.com, Phone: +61 3 6257 0049, Fax: +61 3 6257 0059
• Mountain Valley Wilderness Holidays & Private Nature Reserve: Website: www.mountainvalley.com.au , Contact: Ph: 03 64291394, Fax: 03 64291229
• Beachside Retreat West Inlet, Contact: Website: www.beachsideretreat.com, Email: westinlet@tassie.net.au
• Cradle Chalet Boutique Luxury Lodge: Contact: Web site: www.cradlechalet.com.au, Email: info@cradlechalet.com.au, Phone: (03) 6492 1401, Fax: (03) 6492 1144

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