Bird Watching at Hervey's Range & Star River

The Star River Loop is a 300km full-day outing. Whether you are a keen bird watcher or just enjoy a long drive that will show you Thuringowa’s diverse environment, this is the trip to take. The drive loops from the suburbs, to the edge of the outback, into the lush rainforest and onto the sandy beaches.

The drive from Thuringowa Central along Hervey Range Road to the top of the range and the Heritage Tea Rooms shows the change of habitat and the diversity of the species of birds. From the Tea Rooms, continue along Hervey Range Road for another 63km to the Star River, stopping at the river along the way for some good bird watching. A right hand turn, 1km past the Star River, will take you to Hidden Valley. There is good bird watching on this part of the drive, but be aware that you cannot venture off the road as it runs through private property for most of its length. From Hidden Valley it is a 23km drive to Paluma where you will enter the wet tropics and the rainforest. Then it is down the mountain to the Bruce Highway and onto one or more of the city’s Northern Beaches. It is long day, but for the keen bird watcher, it is one that is sure to please.

Birds likely to be seen are: Emu, Darter, Black Kite, Whistling Kite, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Falcon, Bustard, Squatter Pigeon, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Rainbow Bee-eater, Fairy Martin, Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, Grey-crowned Babbler, Redbacked Fairy-wren, Weebill, White-throated Gerygone, Brown Treecreeper, Yellow-throated Miner, Fuscous Honeyeater , Brown Honeyeater , Scarlet Honeyeater, Zebra Finch, Apostlebird, Black-faced Woodswallow.