Far North Queensland is renowned as a birdwatcher's paradise with the sheer number of birds matched only by their diversity. More than 400 species have been recorded in the area, most of which are seen regularly. A walk through any national park, botanical garden or rainforest will guarantee sightings of several different species of birds and May to October is the most popular time for birdwatchers. Councils generally have bird identification charts in areas where bird watchers congregate. The cassowary, the second largest bird in Australia, is unique to North Queensland and is an endangered species. These timid, territorial birds can be seen around Mission Beach, the Atherton Tablelands and the Daintree region. Several accommodation places in Mission Beach are regularly visited by cassowaries. Care should be taken if encountering them in the wild as they can be aggressive and have extremely big, sharp claws. If you come across one, don't turn and run, but back off slowly, watching the bird as you go. Cassowary numbers have been seriously affected by road kills and dogs. Birds frequently seen in the far north include kites, eagles, falcons, brush turkeys, plovers, sandpipers, terns, pigeons, doves, corellas, lorikeets, parrots, cockatoos, rosellas, owls, wagtails, kookaburras, robins, fly catchers, honey eaters, bowerbirds, kingfishers, riflebirds, shrike-thrush, cuckoos, and finches. The Great Barrier Reef islands have large numbers of migrating and nesting seabirds such as egrets, herons, sea eagles, ospreys, brown boobies and collared kingfishers. There are some excellent bird sanctuaries including the Rainforest Habitat in Port Douglas and Birdworld at Kuranda. Most tour guides are able to identify many bird species and there are several organised birdwatching tours to choose from. Recommended reading: Birds of Queensland's Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef by Lloyd Nielsen and Where to Find Birds in North East Queensland by Jo Wieneke.