Many rainforest birds are seen at Lamington NP, and often very close, as they have learned not to fear humans. You also can enjoy a rainforest canopy boardwalk if desired.

Some species are almost always seen (e.g. crimson rosella, eastern yellow robin, white-browed and yellow-throated scrubwrens, brush turkey), some nearly always (e.g. satin and regent bowerbirds, king parrot, log-runner, eastern whipbird) and others are seen if lucky that day (e.g. Albert’s lyrebird, topknot pigeon, grey goshawk).

Sometimes in cooler months the male lyrebird will be going through his repertoire of mimicry. In warmer months the satin bowerbird is often re-decorating his bower, and may even get a female interested in visiting. The log-runner is usually seen, kicking leaf litter aside with sideways movements most birds aren’t capable of.

The forest itself is quite magical and in addition to walking the tracks there is an option of ascending into the canopy on the first treetop walk to have ever been constructed in a rainforest.

Lunch is usually on a verandah looking out across mountain and valley, and more birds.

There is also an option to feed parrots.

Most waterbirds are nomadic, so they never know quite what guests will see, but there’s usually a good variety of waterbirds and bushbirds, and often raptors (several species). Commonly seen are black swans, various ducks, pelicans, cormorants, egrets, herons, corellas, cisticolas, honeyeaters, shrike-thruishes, whistlers, pardalotes and kingfishers, less commonly (but fairly often) avocets, storks, sea-eagles, kites, finches, mannikins and various others. Visit several lagoons, some of which are downstream from a water treatment plant and thus rich in nutrients that support water plants and aquatic invertebrates, and in turn many birds. Some birds are easily viewed from the vehicle, others via a gentle walk. The local council and a local bird-watching group worked together to re-plant native vegetation around some of the lagoons and install boardwalks and bird hides.