Kakadu Bird Week will return from September 23 to 27, bringing guided wildlife tours, wetland cruises and cultural activities to the Northern Territory during one of the park’s busiest periods for birdlife.
Kakadu National Park is home to more than a third of Australia’s bird species, with the event timed to coincide with the seasonal migration of magpie geese as water levels recede towards the end of the dry season.
Yellow Water Billabong, known locally as Ngurrungurrudjba, will be a major focus of the program. The wetland supports more than 280 bird species, alongside crocodiles and other wildlife.
Jabiru bird on Kakadus Yellow Water Billabong, photo by Paul Arnold
Specialist sunrise cruises will operate on September 24 and 27 from 6.45am, giving visitors the chance to see large numbers of birds gathering around the billabong.
NT bird specialist Luke Paterson will also lead bookable small group tours to locations including Nourlangie, Nanguluwurr, Mamukala Wetlands and the South Alligator Floodplains.
Families will be catered for through activities including bird bingo, while Bowali Visitor Centre will serve as the event headquarters and host cultural experiences during the week.
Among these will be a weaving session with local Daluk, or Aboriginal women, incorporating native bird feathers into traditional techniques used to create baskets, bags, mats and jewellery.
Accommodation is available at Kakadu Crocodile Hotel in Jabiru and Cooinda Lodge near Yellow Water, with options ranging from hotel rooms and villas to glamping, caravan and camping sites.
