Where

Mother of Ducks Lagoon Nature Reserve in Country NSW

Accessibility

Medium

Opening times

Mother of Ducks Lagoon birdwatching platform is always open, but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.

What to
bring

Hat, sunscreen, drinking water

Please note

• Be sure to watch out for golfers and golfballs
• Remember to take your binoculars if you want to go bird watching

Like the sound of an afternoon surrounded by wetlands, native plants and more birds than you can count? Head to the birdwatching platform at Mother of Ducks Lagoon Nature Reserve in Guyra. This wooden observation platform sits at the eastern edge of the lagoon, a bustling bird habitat, and is a great place to stop for a picnic, while driving on the New England Highway.

Come face-to-face with a huge variety of birds, including endangered and threatened species. See if you can glimpse the renowned Japanese Snipe, which lives here from August to April, before returning to Japan, and keep an eye out for other migratory birds, including common greenshanks and white-throated needletails.

After watching from the bird hide, why not enjoy a different view with a short walk around the wetlands? There’s no formal track, but it’s easy to walk along the levee bank. Then pause for a picnic, once you’ve worked up a bit of an appetite, but be sure to protect your sandwiches from any opportunistic ibis.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

A changing world

The beautiful Mother of Ducks Lagoon has a complex history. Over the years, it’s been drained for pastoral purposes, among others, and has suffered the effects of drought. It’s fascinating to imagine that years ago much of it would probably have been underwater.

Many species call this home

With over 87 species observed in and around it, Mother of Ducks Lagoon Nature Reserve is a major bird habitat. You’ll also see black swans, wading ibis and cormorants diving for fish. Several endangered, threatened and vulnerable bird species rely on the reserve for survival, including the curlew sandpiper and grey falcon. You might even see one of the many reptiles recorded in the park, such as the common snake-necked tortoise or the endangered Booroolong frog. With so many migratory birds calling it home at least part of the year, the reserve has real international significance. Mother of Ducks Lagoon Nature Reserve features birds protected under international agreements between Australia and Japan, China and Korea.

Wetlands full of life

There’s more to wetlands than birds, of course. The lagoon abounds with lush plant life, including tall spike-rush, common pondweed, Australian sweet grass and even carnivorous plants. Look carefully to see rare woodruff growing on the levee bank.