Into the Woodlands X Creatures of the Night

About

Experience Mt Rothwell Safe Haven across two worlds as the golden hours of a late afternoon bird walk blend into a night tour while the safe haven’s nocturnal wildlife comes to life.

Rich in tree hollows, fallen timber and diverse understorey shrubs, and protected from invasive predators, Mt Rothwell supports an exceptional diversity of birdlife with around 160 species recorded. Depending on the season, you may encounter wedge-tailed eagles, rainbow bee-eaters, zebra finches, southern whitefaces, eastern barn owls, restless flycatchers, white-winged trillers and much more. The safe haven is also home to a captive breeding and reintroduction program for the critically endangered bush stone-curlew, with around 20 individuals now roaming freely across the 473-hectare reserve.

As darkness falls, the sanctuary reveals another side entirely. Mt Rothwell is one of the few places in Victoria where you can encounter a remarkable array of threatened mammals in the wild. Keep an eye out for eastern barred bandicoots, rufous bettongs, eastern bettongs and possibly even an eastern quoll, all self-sustaining species now thriving across the landscape. You'll also have the chance to spot the critically endangered southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby among the rocky outcrops, with fewer than 100 remaining in the wild.

Event details

• 2 hours of guided birding, followed by a 45-minute BYO dinner break, then 1.5–2 hours of nocturnal spotlighting
• Starts 2 hours 45 minutes before sunset