You don’t have to go out of your way to go
birdwatching on Lord Howe. In fact in some spots you’ll be tripping over them – if you don’t watch where you’re walking. 

Fourteen species of seabird nest here in their hundreds of
thousands, and almost 170 species have been recorded living on or visiting the island group. Lord Howe Island Museum has pocket-sized guide books to the locals birds and where to see them.

A few species you’ll
see without even trying:

– Muttonbirds: Stand at Ned’s Beach at dusk between September and March and you’ll see hundreds of muttonbirds flying in from the sea, dropping to earth at your feet and dashing into the palm forest to their burrows.
– Providence petrels: You don’t have to trek to the summit of Mt Gower to see these long-distance seabirds. You can also see them at dusk at Little Island, at the base of Mt Lidgbird, between March and November; if you call them the right way, they’ll even crash-land at your feet.
– Sooty terns: Thousands of these nest in the sand dunes at Ned’s Beach and Blinky Beach. Between September and January you’ll see the chicks too, but be prepared to be dive-bombed by protective parents if you get too close.
– Red-tailed tropicbirds: Between November and June, you’ll see these aerial acrobats at Malabar Cliffs, a short walk uphill from North Bay.

If you’re lucky, you might see an endemic
Lord Howe Island woodhen, a ground-dwelling bird saved from extinction by conservation efforts (including ridding the island of feral cats
and rats). The best places to see them are behind Pinetrees Lodge and on the walk to Little Island.

There are also birdwatching tours, including a day cruise to Balls Pyramid with Sea to Summit Expeditions.

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  Photo by Louise Southerden