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Unrivalled in local bird
guiding skill & expertiseENGAGE WITH OUR SPECIALIST GUIDES, LED BY LUKE PATERSON, AS THEY FIND YOUR TARGET
SPECIES & EXPERIENCES USING 24 YEARS OF LOCAL GUIDING KNOWLEDGE & EXPERTISE.Photo Credit: Sheau Torng Lim -
Specialists in birdwatching
& photographic safarisDELIVERING YOUR PERSONALISED ITINERARIES &
AUTHENTIC SMALL GROUP TOURING. -
Thoughtfully designed
experiences Capture The MomentWE MAXIMISE YOUR WILDLIFE-VIEWING ENCOUNTERS &
ABILITY TO CAPTURE JAW-DROPPING PHOTOS IN STUNNING LANDSCAPES. -
Award-winning
ecotourism specialistsPROVIDING YOUR WORLD-CLASS WILDLIFE ADVENTURES WITH BREATH-TAKING NATURAL
EXPERIENCES & A WEALTH OF INTIMATE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE. -
Guiding the way in
special-interest satisfactionREVIEW STORIES FROM OUR HAPPY GUESTS.
Specialists in birdwatching, bird photography & naturalist tours
CREATING YOUR UNFORGETTABLE SMALL GROUP TOURS & PERSONALISED PRIVATE ITINERARIES.
Explore the Birds & Wildlife of Darwin, Kakadu, Australia's Northern Territory, Kimberley, Outback Queensland & SE Asia.
Join our unforgettable birdwatching, photography, and naturalist tours, expertly guided by our team of experienced specialist guides, including Luke Paterson, the owner of NT Bird Specialists and one of Australia’s best bird guides.
Our world-class ecotourism experiences are built with 40 years of local expertise from our base in Darwin (Garramilla), Northern Territory. We consciously design each award-winning tour to immerse you in northern Australia's ancient wilderness areas and biodiversity hotspots of Borneo and Sri Lanka and responsibly seek some of the county's most sought after and rare birds and wildlife while sustainably supporting local guides, communities, businesses and environments.
NT Bird Specialists' Darwin and Fogg Dam Day Tours and multi-day trips suit all experience levels of birders, nature and bird photographers and naturalists. We offer both small group tours and private photography and nature/birdwatching itineraries with excellent herping and mammal-watching opportunities.
World birders, listers, and non-birders alike highly recommend our professional approach, including specialised guiding to observe many of our 400+ bird species, while also finding and photographing rare and endemic Australian birds and fauna such as the Gouldian Finch, Grasswrens, and Red Goshawk.
Our guests experience ‘So Much More Than Just A Birding Tour’ through in-depth guided exploration of our exquisite natural and cultural landscapes (including Aboriginal rock art and occupation sites) via custom touring vehicles, private wildlife and photographic cruises, bushwalking, helicopter tours and more.
Check out our happy guest reviews and come experience it for yourself.
Our Top Tours
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1 Day Darwin Birdwatching Tour ‘Sticky Beak’
Darwin’s urban landscapes retain an array of habitats for birds and wildlife to flourish in.
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9 Day Australian Outback Birdwatching Tour, Darwin (NT) to Mount Isa (QLD)
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15 Day Sri Lankan Birdwatching & Wildlife Tour
Join NT Bird Specialists on a 15 day Wildlife Adventure through the biodiverse and culturally rich lands of Sri Lanka in March 2026. ‘Immerse yourself in World Heritage wilderness and ancient cultural sites while searching for unique and endemic birds and wildlife off the beaten track. Sri Lanka – the Wonder of Asia, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean.’
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Borneo Birding & Wildlife Tour: Hornbills, Trogons & Orangutans
Borneo is a naturalist’s dream & a breathtaking destination for NT Bird Specialists’ guests to experience incredible accessible birding & mammal viewing in style.
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10 Day Ultimate Top End Birding Adventure Tour
NT Bird Specialists’ ‘Ultimate Top End Birding Adventure’ tour discovers some of the most remote and impressive landscapes and targeted bird and wildlife species in one fowl swoop!
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7 Day North Australian Finch Frenzy Tour
Join NT Bird Specialists on a Grass ’Finch Frenzy’ of the best birding sites for Gouldian Finch, Star Finch, Pictorella Mannikin and up to 200 bird species spanning the Top End, Northern Territory. Start & finish in Darwin.
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Wild Kakadu Nature Photography Expedition
Join our exclusive photographic expedition through the heart of Crocodile Dundee country. Special offers available.
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Photographic Workshop: Top End Birds & Wildlife Immersion
Join our breath-taking bird & wildlife photography workshop with Luke Paterson & Jay Collier in Kakadu’s World Heritage sites. Limited availability. 2 Expert Tour leaders. Special offers available.
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5 Day Top End-Kakadu Birding, Wildlife & Nature Tour
Our 5 day ‘Top End Birding & Wildlife Experience’ provides fantastic chances to view many Top End specialty birds and wildlife, including Banded-fruit Dove (endemic), Rainbow Pitta, Hooded Parrot (endemic), Gouldian Finch and many waterbirds.
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8 Day Tropical Outback Bird Photography Tour
Embark on our 8 Day ‘Tropical Outback’ Bird Photography Tour to photograph an incredible range of colourful and unique northern Australian birds and wildlife in beautiful landscapes.
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4 Day Kakadu Birdwatching Tour ‘Djakarna Jaunt’
Our 4 day Kakadu Birdwatching tour ‘Djakarna Jaunt’ explores a 1200 kilometre circuit along the Arnhem, Kakadu and Stuart Highways, in the Top End of the Northern Territory.
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4 Day East Kimberley Bird Photography Tour
Join our tantalising bird photography adventure in the East Kimberley. Photograph finches, local speciality birds and reptiles in gorgeous boab-clad landscapes with million star astro views.
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2 Day Pine Creek Birdwatching Tour ‘Parrot and Finch Paradise’
10 species of parrots, including the (locally endemic) Hooded Parrot, Red-winged Parrot, Cockatiel and Northern Rosella, rightfully makes the historic gold mining and railway township of Pine Creek the ‘Top End’s home of parrots’.
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1 Day Kakadu Birdwatching Tours
Our 1 day Kakadu bird watching tours start and finish in the heart of the World Heritage Kakadu National Park.
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1 Day Wild Kakadu Wildlife & Rock Art Tour
Only have a day or two to spare? Join our 1 Day Wild Kakadu Wildlife & Rock Art tour for a glimpse of the World Heritage wildlife and rock art at home amongst the mighty South Alligator floodplains and Ubirr rock art sites adjacent to the East Alligator River.
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Kakadu Bird Week Tours 2025
Get a fantastic taste of Kakadu’s birding highlights when Luke guides you to the best sites during Kakadu Bird Week 2024. Enquire and book Kakadu Bird Week tours today [email protected]
Find out moreAbout Us.
We share a united passion and experience in building sustainable and inclusive tourism experiences that support conservation and local communities and businesses in northern Australia and South East Asia.
NT Bird Specialists is a fully-insured and accredited business with EcoStar and Accessible Tourism Accreditations.
Beyond touring, the NT Bird Specialists team provides expert services in event management and delivery, conference excursions, natural history presentations, club events, and ecological consultancy services.
We are experienced ground handlers for international tour groups and filmmaker fixers.
You can rest assured with our award-winning team, as we combine over 40 years experience in the Northern Territory and Kimberley regions when packaging our genuine small group and custom ecotours, so you have more time to view wildlife and soak in your surroundings in comfort.
Our services in special-interest nature tourism are amongst the best on offer. Come and experience it for yourself.

Reviews
On our birding trip in the Northern Territory we staked out a waterhole waiting for finches. To our great delight, around 700-800 budgies arrived in a swirling mass, circling again & again until they found the courage to come down & drink. Thanks to our brilliant guide, Luke, for making this possible. I hope you enjoy these most endearing birds.
I went on this tour with my 12 year old son who is a keen birder and I have to say that even as a non-birder it was the best tour I have been on. Luke was amazing in not only spotting birds but taking the time out to be engaging, funny and educational while literally spotting and knowing where all the best birding and nature spots are. My son didn't want the trip to end and wants to book the 10 day tour ASAP. I couldn't recommend Luke more! Will definitely be back.
My eyes were opened to this ancient landscape through the lens of watching birds - what a fabulous way to have ones eyes opened. Our guide Luke Paterson provided a superb blend of knowledge, skill and enthusiasm. His people skills and patience were as well developed as his bird knowledge - exceptional at times and breath-taking. this is a holiday to be remembered for the rest of our lives - a stand out!
I have been on many guided tours throughout the world and this one was absolutely stunning an outstanding in comparison. Luke was friendly; endlessly obliging; his ability in bird-spotting was amazing; everything was well organised; attention to detail extraordinary and food excellent and abundant. Luke's kindness and thoughtfulness in making sure everyone was ok and seeing the birds (and we saw way more than expected) was great. Luke was endlessly knowledgeable but modest in sharing his expertise and a great sense of warm humour. I would recommend this tour to anyone!
Latest News
Birds of a feather flock together
Sri Lankan Birding and Wildlife Tour: Species Highlights & Trip Notes with NT Bird Specialists
Welcome to the Team John Gitsham
3 Day AIPP Kakadu Photographic Workshop led by Peter Eastway
Effects of Australian bushfires on birdlife & birdwatching tours
Australian Geographic comes to Kakadu Bird Week
Australasian Ornithological Conference Darwin (AOC) 2019
The Urban Birder films Darwin and the Top End
Past Newsletter Highlights and Touring Specials

Looking for a Unique Present of Gift Voucher?
Why not Gift Someone Special the Life-long Memories made on NT Bird Specialists’ Unforgettable Travel Experiences .
Flexible to suite a range of Tastes and Budgets for any of our Award-winning Experiences, Tours & Services.
Our Birdwatching and Photography Gift Vouchers are perfect for family & friends who love nature travel or for those wanting to try something new.
Voucher recipients can join our expert wildlife and photography guides in our big backyard and explore the wilder side of life in the remote Northern Territory and Kimberley regions of Australia.
They’re Easy to Order and make an Excellent Birthday Card, Special Occasion or Christmas Gift.
- Complete the Gift Voucher Booking Form below – Select any amount starting from $150AUD or a specific tour product/date.
(Don’t forget to include a special message if preferred). - We’ll confirm details and send through an invoice for credit card or bank transfer payments
- We’ll email the Voucher directly to your inbox so you can forward on or print as your gift
Here’s some Inspiration to use NT Bird Specialist Vouchers on:
• Booking an award-winning private or small group tour experience (from day tours to extended journeys and target species missions)
• Gift Credit for any tour product or service.
• Enhance a trip with optional extras (pre & post-tour hotels, private photographic & birdwatching cruises, aerial helicopter photoshoots).
• Hire our professional photographic equipment to capture epic wildlife scenes
• Order professional wildlife and landscape prints taken by Luke Paterson.
*Gift Voucher Notes:
Please book early as spaces are limited.
Name & date changes are permitted.
Credit is valid for 3 years from date of purchase (non-redeemable for cash).
A Wild Adventure Awaits. Please Complete the Form Below
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