Birds of the Borders: Boigu Island Expedition

The group meets the Strait Experience team at Cairns Airport at 7:30am for a briefing, then flies Qantas to Horn Island. A private charter continues the 45-minute flight to Boigu Island, landing at 11:45am.

Guests are welcomed with a formal Welcome to Country by the Boigu Traditional Custodians, community sign-in and a briefing on island landmarks and Ailan Kastom. After a welcome lunch, the first session is a village-edge walk-through targeting the eclectus parrot, singing starling and red-capped flowerpecker. The evening includes a community-hosted dinner on Country, with local members sharing stories of the "Sky Country".

Overnight: Boigu Island.
Meals: L/D.

Birding on Boigu follows the tides, in the pattern the operator attributes to the Malu Kiai Rangers. The first session explores the creeks at dawn on the rising tide, targeting great-billed heron, mangrove robin and shining flycatcher. These creeks drain through the mangroves that fringe the whole island; saltwater crocodiles live in the waters around Boigu, and dugongs, listed as vulnerable, feed in the offshore shallows. Mid-morning is an optional community session on traditional fishing, hunting and cross-border trade.

In the afternoon session, explore the village gardens looking for Stephan’s dove and variable goshawk. Dinner is a community BBQ.

Overnight: Boigu Island.
Meals: B/L/D.

The morning session focuses on the tidal mangrove channels, looking for Gurney’s eagle, brahminy kite, migratory waders and ashy-bellied white-eye. The Torres Strait is the main staging ground for shorebirds moving between Australia and Papua New Guinea, so the waders on these channels are travelling that route, including eastern curlew, great knot and curlew sandpiper. The afternoon session moves inland to freshwater swamp and rainforest pockets, targeting black-necked stork, orange-fronted fruit-dove and trumpet manucode. Swamps and wetlands make up most of Boigu’s interior, and the rainforest the session covers is confined to pockets within it. Dinner is an island-style curry, a staple of the community’s hospitality.

Overnight: Boigu Island.
Meals: B/L/D.

The northern coastline runs 6km from the Papua New Guinea mainland. The morning session focuses on this stretch of water for the Papuan (Blyth’s) hornbill, Papuan spine-tailed swift, and palm cockatoo, all sought here for the best documented Australian records available, not as guaranteed sightings. The hornbill is the longest shot of the three: its only Australian record is from neighbouring Saibai Island, and it is treated as an accidental rather than a species that holds territory on this side of the strait. The afternoon is a guest-directed session, chasing species recorded nearby but not yet seen that week.

The evening is a Traditional Community Feast (sop sop, namas and island curries), followed by Island Dancing, performed to rhythms and costumes depicting the bird movements observed during the week.

Overnight: Boigu Island.
Meals: B/L/D.

A final guest-directed sunrise session runs before departure. The group boards the charter flight back to Horn Island, then enjoys a farewell lunch at Wongai Beach Resort. Qantas departs Horn Island, arriving in Cairns at 17:25.

Meals: B/L.