Birdwatching Tours - Australia   (EST 1995)

Fine Feather Tours is owned and operated by Del and Pat Richards, and is based in Mossman, North Queensland, adjacent to the richest birding area in Australia.

Well over half of Australia’s species have been recorded within a distance of 200 kilometres. Del gathers records for the Endangered Gouldian Finch in FNQ.

Your Australian guide, Del Richards, has accumulated over forty years (eight lustrums) experience birding in all  states, and is acknowledged for contributing to three Australian field guides.

We cater for bird watchers from destinations worldwide - some making return visits to locate more species.

Del is a keen photographer and facilitates the opportunity to take your own rewarding images of Australian Birds.

In recent times with friend Jack Leighton he has given technical advice for Jack's double DVD "Rainforest Birds of Australia's Wet Tropics"- a must have item on the list of birders visiting this region.

Foundation Member of Bird Trails:
Tropical Queensland - Highlands and Daintree

Del has guided for Bird Quest and Ribble Bird Tours (UK) and Rockjumper (Rep. South Africa) and every two years the Audubon Society of Portland, Oregon (USA).

Individuals include:
Bo Crombet-Beolens UK (Fatbirder Website),
Professor Paul R Ehrlich, Stanford University, CA. (see testimonial)
Professor Stephen H.Schneider, Stanford University, CA. Lily Engles, Past President, Texas Ornithologist's Society. (see testimonial)
(Del is featured in both Frommers and Lonely Planet publications) 

About The Birding Area

Mossman is an easy 1 hour drive north of Cairns International Airport along the very scenic Captain Cook Highway.

The sugar town of Mossman lies in the shadow of the Great Dividing Range and, uniquely, within an hours travel we have 8 distinct habitats including lowland rainforest, mudflats, mangroves, saltmarsh, upland rainforest, wetland, grassland, and the much drier savannah woodland. That's the reason that we chose Mossman as our base, an ideal starting point for serious bird watching.

Immediately to the north is the Daintree River, and close by is Port Douglas for Great Barrier Reef cruises, and accommodation. In the hinterland is Julatten, well known to visiting birders, and to the west, the Mitchell River area is where we locate many inland species.