BIRD TOURS with a sense of place
What is ethical birding?
Do you love to watch birds? Do you particularly love to learn about them, watch their behaviour and understand their lives – by appreciating their habitat, their history, and the other animals and plants that share their world?
Do you love to watch birds ethically, with little disturbance to their natural behaviour?
Join us for an ethical bird tour with a sense of place. We love to take time to watch the birds, and time to enjoy the spirit of a place. Because a bird is not alone – it needs an ecosystem to support it. Watching leads to understanding, and understanding leads to better protection for our birds.
Our style of bird watching is comfortable. Early morning and late afternoon walks and drives are high on our list of things to do; middle of the day is for relaxing over lunch and (sometimes) for taking a siesta. We allow time for looking at plants, scenery, other animals, people, culture and history where it is relevant and important. As much as possible we give you options so you can bird your way.
“We don’t really do ‘targets’ to the exclusion of all else. However, we do know what birds are likely each day, what is rare and high-profile, and we love to show you as many birds as possible. Our Bird Guides do extensive research before each tour, checking recent sightings of high priority species. We won’t drive past the Wilkins Rock-wallaby for a slim chance of seeing a Yellow Chat. We can’t ignore the breaching Long-finned Pilot Whales to get back to ‘proper birding’. Because birds are part of nature, and nature is not our servant.” Janine Duffy, Echidna Walkabout Bird Guide.
Anyway, often you find what you want when you are relaxed, well-rested and happy and when everyone around you is happy too.
We do lists, and our lists include mammals, reptiles, birds and often, dragonflies and butterflies.
Read on about our in-depth, ethical bird tours.
Forest : Cockatoos & Lyrebirds
4 days in the rainforests, mountains & coastlines of East Gippsland
Desert : Parrots & Emus
4 days of desert birding in the Outback, near the borders of Victoria and New South Wales
Coast : Bristlebirds & Kookaburras
3 days of coastal birding on the famous Great Ocean Road
Maximum Wildlife
7 to 21 days of birds, mammals & reptiles across the continent – from the lyrebirds of the rainforest, parrots of the desert Outback, kookaburras of the coast, to the brolgas of the Top End.
Love finding birds with a top bird guide? Meet Martin and Australian Geographic
Travel with top bird guide, Martin Maderthaner, with Australian Geographic and discover new birds.
5 big lessons the endangered Malleefowl taught me
Malleefowl are big, diamond encrusted….and endangered! Right there in front of me was one of the world’s rarest birds. A Malleefowl. Having spent much of my young life in the Mallee I knew all about Malleefowl but I’d never seen one. Everyone in the Mallee talks about...
5 reasons to learn birds at the Katherine Bird Festival
Come to the Katherine Bird Festival this September There’s lots of great reasons why you should learn birds in Katherine — and they’re not all bird related! Do you love colourful birds? The most psychedelic of them all may be Australia’s tiny Gouldian Finch (pictured...
Our Bird Guides
Janine Duffy
Bird Research
Her research into the presence of the Rose-crowned Fruit Dove in East Gippsland gives credence to the belief that these magnificent doves may turn up again in the region.
She loves to encourage beginner birders, and believes in fostering an inclusive birding community.
She is Admin for two birding groups on facebook: Women Birders Australia and Mallacoota Birds.
Janine’s favourite bird
Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, Fogg Dam.
Photo: Janine Duffy
eBird profile: https://ebird.org/australia/profile/Mzc0NjU0/world
Martin Maderthaner
Senior Bird Guide
Martin is a serious birder with quick eyes making him an outstanding Bird Guide. He researches and creates most of Echidna Walkabout’s private and group birding itineraries.
Martin learnt his guiding and bird skills as a Safari Guide in his home continent of Africa and has taken those skills all over the world. He is now an Australian resident but returns regularly to Africa to lead safaris throughout southern Africa countries.
Martin’s favourite bird
Pink Cockatoos, Mungo National Park Photo: Martin Maderthaner
eBird profile: https://ebird.org/profile/NDk5NzMw/world
Tim Dolby
Senior Bird Guide
Tim Dolby is one of Australia’s best known bird guides and has guided birding trips through most of Australia’s top birding locations. He is a former Convener of BirdLife Australia in Victoria and the author of several Australian bird books including Finding Australian Birds: A Field Guide and Where to See Birds in Victoria.
Tim helps organise the celebrated birdwatching event, the Australian Twitchathon, and moderates Birdline Australia.
Tim’s popular birding blog Tim Dolby’s Bird Trip Report provides a wealth of information for local and visiting international birdwatchers.
Tim’s website: https://timothydolby.com/
Tim’s favourite bird
The magical Scarlet Honeyeater. Photo: Tim Dolby
Karen Dick
Specialist Bird Guide
Karen has birded on six continents and is a professional ornithologist with a passion for wildlife and for sharing the excitement of the natural world with others. She is a specialist bird guide and professional ecologist, as well as volunteering for wader, bush bird and parrot surveys, organising and running outings for members of BirdLife Tasmania and acting as Secretary for the Tasmanian branch of BirdLife Australia.
She is a self-confessed ‘pelagic tragic’ and loves watching seabirds, especially majestic Wandering Albatrosses.
Karen believes strongly in an inclusive and supportive birding community and is Admin for the Tasmanian Birders and Women Birders Australia Facebook pages.
Karen’s favourite bird
Grey-backed Storm Petrel.
Photo: Karen Dick