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Description
Mamukala Billabong allows birders to see an astonishing variety of bird life. The dry season is the best time to visit the wetland, as water birds flock to this billabong as other bodies of water in Kakadu National Park dry up. The scenery at its most dramatic towards the end of the dry season – September and October. For several weeks at the end of the dry season (Kurrung) and the beginning of the build up (Kunumeleng) the Mamukala Billabong in Kakadu National Park becomes home to tens of thousands of birds. By late August the wetlands are alive with the honking of tens of thousands of Magpie geese digging for water chestnuts. Nestled into the paperbarks is an observation platform that allows you to quietly view the birdlife.
The walk from the carpark to the hide is already alive with small birds including Arafura Fantail, Paperbark Flycatcher and Lemon-bellied Flyrobin. From the bird hide you can observe large numbers of Magpie geese, kites, Comb-crested Jacanas, cormorants, Willie Wagtails, Purple Swamphens, finches and kingfishers that congregate in this magnificent billabong. There is also a 3 km loop walk that is good to find other birds.
Details
Access
Located 20 km west of Jabiru and just a little off the sealed highway, Mamukala Billabong provides an excellent bird hide. A great spot for photographers, as the birdlife happily go about their business within meters of the hide, seemingly oblivious to the humans nearby. The hide isn’t super-conveniently positioned for early morning birding, with the light coming through from the left that leaves half of each bird facing you in shadow or close to it. But the hide makes up for that by being large, clean, with enormous viewing openings, and huge information panels along the back walls. It really is a tremendous observation facility.
The bird hide can be reached by wheelchair users. There is also a flat, easy 3 km circuit walk that is good for finding other bird species. Toilet facilities, picnic tables and benches are provided in the carpark area. Around December the rains may cause the circuit walk to be closed, and later as the flood levels rise, the bird hide may be closed as well. Usually by March or April it is opened again.