Red-tailed tropicbird tumbles out of Cyclone Debbie at Clermont

Clermont grazier Beth Duncan found the exhausted aviator on her property after it tumbled out of Tropical Cyclone Debbie, a long way from its usual habitat on Queensland’s coral islands.

Beth said it rested for a few hours, becoming more and more alert, before flying over her house “in a graceful arc”, heading north.

After posting a photo on the Who Got the Rain Facebook page, Les Wilson responded that a similar bird had once been blown all the way in to his place, 60km west of Wandoan.

Les said it recovered in a few days and headed back sea-side.

According to well-known north Queensland bird watcher, Lloyd Nielsen, both sightings are a rare occurrence.

“The only time you see them on the mainland is after cyclones,” he said. “They get caught up in the eye and can’t get out.”

Around 50cm long and with distinct red tail feathers streaming out another 50cm behind them, they are not a small bird, and Lloyd said they would be used to flying long distances.

He expected the tropicbird to be able to make its way back to the ocean and its fish and squid food source without too much trouble.

It fared a lot better than the bedraggled bush cockatoo found in bushland at Airlie Beach in the wake of the cyclone.

Nicknamed Debbie after it was rescued in the eye of Tuesday’s cyclone and cared for throughout Wednesday, the cockatoo died today.