InformationNature Conservation Area

Grey Mangrove habitat and leaves (Avicennia marina)

Buff-banded Rail – photo Tony Bailey

Coastal Banksia (Banksia integrifolia)

Swamp Oak (Casurina gluaca)

Seagrass

Beach stone-curlew – photo Tony Bailey

White-bellied Sea Eagle – photo Tony Bailey

Stingray

Oysters attached to rocks

Beree Badalla boardwalk

The Tarrabora and Beree Badalla Reserves are an important

example of how a small natural area can contain a diverse range

of coastal vegetation types, with coastal woodland and casuarina

forest on the surrounding sands and sediment, to the marine

communities of saltmarsh and mangroves along the shoreline and

seagrasses in Currumbin Creek.

As you move through the forests of Tarrabora Reserve you may

be able to view some common native plants including, swamp oak

(Casuarina glauca), macaranga (Macaranaga tanarius), tuckeroo

(Cupaniopsis anacardioides), coastal banksia (Banksia integrifolia)

and coastal hibiscus (Hibiscus tilleaceus).

Along your walk through the estuary and the Beree Badalla

boardwalk you will see the vegetation change to marine, with

species including the grey mangrove (Avicennia marina),

mangrove fern (Acrostichum speciosum) and marine couch

(Sporobolus virginicus). These Mangroves provide important

feeding, spawning and nursery sites for many aquatic animals

including crabs, fi sh and prawns.

If you look into the water at high tide you may be able to see

juvenile fi sh at the base of the mangroves. Above the water,

mangroves also provide food and a home for small mammals,

fl ying-foxes, reptiles and birds.

A good hiding place

These reserves and the surrounding lower estuary are home to

156 bird species. The diversity of birds includes small forest

species, numerous honeyeaters, parrot species and local and

migratory shorebirds. On the journey through Tarrabora some of

the bird species you are likely to see include the stunning superb

fairy wren, Lewin’s honeyeater, pale-headed rosella, yellow tailed

black cockatoos, rainbow lorikeet and the beautiful buff-banded

rail. The buff-banded rail is a small shy bird that you can see

darting into the undergrowth as it utilises the groundcovers and

grass as habitat.

Birds that can be spotted along the shoreline or searching for

small fi sh include the striated heron, ospreys, white-bellied

sea eagles, brahminy, whistling and black shouldered kites,

kingfi shers, cormorants, darters, pelicans, gull-billed terns along

with silver gulls. If you are lucky enough you may also sight the

vulnerable beach stone-curlew which makes the occasional visit.

A signifi cant migratory species is the common tern, they migrate

between October and March each year travelling distances of up

to 25,000 kilometres as they migrate from Russia and China to

avoid their harsh northern winter. It’s a long distance to travel and

they may lose up to half their own body weight but are rewarded

upon arrival.

The estuary is abundant with fi sh species to fi ll a hungry bird’s

appetite including bream, fl athead, garfi sh, mangrove jack, sea

mullet, tailor, whiting to mud and sand crabs.

Other animals that can be found living amongst the leaf litter

on the forest fl oor, wetlands or up in the trees include blue-

tongued lizards, eastern water dragons, graceful tree frog,

eastern dwarf tree frog and nocturnal animals such as possums

and bandicoots that feed on the areas seasonally changing fruit,

insects and fl owers.

A living estuary

Around 75%

of fish caught in

Queensland spend

some time in mangroves

or depend on food chains

that can be traced back

to these tidal forests.

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Oysters can be

seen attached to the

roots of mangroves, rocks

and the posts of the

boardwalk. They play an

important role in filtering

water with an estimated

180 litres filtered per day

by one single adult

oyster.

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Beneath the waters, plant life continues with seagrass on the estuary bed.

Seagrass are the only fl owering plant that can live underwater and provide

habitat for many marine species. They also absorb nutrients from run-off

and stabilise sediment, helping to keep the water clear.

Stingrays have

flat bodies that allow

them to dig and hide on the

sandy bottom. Look down

from the boardwalk and you

may see indentations from

where a stingray has

settled for either food

or hiding from

predators.

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Osprey – photo Tony Bailey