O'Reilly's located in the Lamington National Park, SE Queensland, is famous for its breathtaking views and abundant birdlife. However I was surprised to discover that it has a small captive collection of native animals used in two daily shows.
The first is a Bird of Prey show held every afternoon, and costing $17.50 for an adult. Five birds were used in the show I attended although apparently they have around 36 birds in total.
Of course I was there for the wild birds, and O'Reilly's is famous for them. it is not uncommon in Australia to come across locations where one or two parrot species have been habituated to feed from visitors. O'Reilly's have gone further with several species of passerine that will come to be fed. I was only there for two nights so had limited opportunities for birdwatching. The hotel runs a birdwalk free of charge which I took the first morning, the second we walked out to Python Rock, a walk that is supposed to be good for Albert's lyrebirds and paradise riflebirds, neither of which appeared. Wild animals I did see during my stay that I identified were:
The first is a Bird of Prey show held every afternoon, and costing $17.50 for an adult. Five birds were used in the show I attended although apparently they have around 36 birds in total.
- Barn owl
- Barking owl
- Black kite
- Australian kestrel
- Wedge-tailed eagle (did not fly)
- Sooty owl
- Australian magpie
- Squirrel gliders
- Coastal carpet python
Of course I was there for the wild birds, and O'Reilly's is famous for them. it is not uncommon in Australia to come across locations where one or two parrot species have been habituated to feed from visitors. O'Reilly's have gone further with several species of passerine that will come to be fed. I was only there for two nights so had limited opportunities for birdwatching. The hotel runs a birdwalk free of charge which I took the first morning, the second we walked out to Python Rock, a walk that is supposed to be good for Albert's lyrebirds and paradise riflebirds, neither of which appeared. Wild animals I did see during my stay that I identified were:
- Dusky antechinus
- Short-eared possum
- Red-legged pademelon
- Red-necked pademelon
- Australian brushturkey
- Wonga pigeon
- Brown cuckoo-dove
- Australian king parrot (habituated)
- Crimson rosella (habituated)
- Sooty owl
- Noisy pitta (dead)
- Satin bowerbird (habituated)
- Regent bowerbird (habituated)
- Superb Fairy-wren
- Lewin's honeyeater (habituated)
- Brown thornbill
- Brown gerygone
- Yellow-throated scrubwren
- White-browed scrubwren
- Australian logrunner
- Eastern whipbird (habituated)
- Pied currawong
- Grey shrikethrush (habituated)
- Golden whistler
- Torresian crow
- Eastern yellow robin (habituated)
- Welcome swallow
- Russet-tailed thrush
- Bassian thrush
