Rock Wallabies Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island rock wallabies or more specifically – Allied Rock Wallabies (Petrogale assimilis). Distinguished by a pale cheek stripe and hip stripe. As well as Magnetic Island they live on Palm Island. They also live on the mainland between Townsville and the Burdekin River but I have never seen them on the mainland.

When you stay at Arcadia Beach guest House, chances are you too will have some of these cheeky late afternoon visitors.

Black Cockatoos

During the dry season, when the trees are fruiting, it is quite common to see red tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus magnificus) feeding on the sweet flesh of the beach almond fruit. The black males have startling bright red bands in the tail, which splay out in flight. The females, and young for the first few years, have yellow speckles and bars on their dark plumage with splashes of orange in their tails. The cockatoos ‘prune’ the twigs with fruit, crack the outer nut, and leave the nuts to soften up on the ground under the trees. They return up to a week later to eat the softened nut.

The red tailed black cockatoo is a seasonal visitor to the Island, usually flying over from Pallarenda on the mainland when there is a plentiful supply of beach almonds or other similar native fruits like the spiky she-oak nuts.