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Windsor Downs Nature Reserve

Indigenous name: Dharug Country

Photographed by Mary Wheeler. Golden Whistler.
Facilities
  • Viewing-Platform Bird watching Walking-Track Walking track

About

Windsor Downs Nature Reserve is one of four woodland and two lagoon sites that make up the Richmond Woodlands Key Biodiversity Area (KBA).

The other woodland sites are:

 

Covering 363 hectares, Windsor Downs Nature Reserve features a historic windmill and water tank and protects several endangered plant communities that includes species such as the Broad-leafed Ironbark, Grey Box, Scribbly Gum, Narrow-leafed Angophora, pea flowers and a species of geebung.

There are two vegetation communities in this reserve:

  • Shale Gravel Transitional Forest, which includes Broad-leaved Ironbark Eucalyptus fibrosa, Grey Box E. moluccana, White Feather Honeymyrtle Melaleuca decora
  • Castlereagh Iron Bark Forest, including Broad-leaved Ironbark and White Feather Honeymyrtle, Scribbly Gum Eucalyptus sclerophylla and Narrow-leaved Apple Angophora bakeri
Photography by Simon Pelling, Superb Fairy-wren.
Photography by Kevin Bowring, White-winged Chough.
Photography by Diana Womersley, Pacific Baza.
Photography by Stephen Garth, Grey Shrike-thrush.
Photography by Rob Solic, Eastern Shrike-tit.
Photography by Angela Farnsworth, Eastern Yellow Robin.

Trail description

There are two Windsor Downs Nature Reserves bird survey sites.

Trail 1: Windsor Downs NR WD26.
Locate the entry gate to The Dip Trail, opposite 246 Sanctuary Drive, Windsor Downs. Cars are parked along the verge of the road.

View the Birdata Notice board just inside the Nature Reserve to locate the bird survey trail for this location.

There are two options for surveying this trail:

  1. Proceed along the Dip Trail, turn left along Uncles Trail until reaching the ancient, high, water tank and two dams, and return the same route.
  2. Another option is to return from the two dams along Hakea Trail to join Sanctuary Drive then turn left along Sanctuary Drive to walk back to your starting point, the entry gate to The Dip Trail. (The reason for this option is because at certain seasons the Hakea plants along Hakea Trail attract different bird species).

This site has no toilets.

Trail 2: Windsor Downs NR WD27.
Locate the entry gate to Mr Corns Trail, opposite 48 Sanctuary Drive, Windsor Downs. Cars are parked along the verge of the road.

View the Birdata Notice board just inside the Nature Reserve to locate the bird survey trail for this location.

This site has no toilets.

How to survey using Birdata

As you walk along the survey trail take note of all the birds you see and hear, and of how many of them. This standardised survey is known as a ‘500m area search’.

Record your bird survey using the Birdata app.

Windsor Downs Nature Reserve is a shared site to encourage repeat surveys. The shared site name in Birdata is Windsor Downs NR WD26.

Learn more about bird surveying.

More than 88 species of birds have been recorded at this site using Birdata. For more information about these birds, visit the Bird Profiles.

Get involved

If you are interested in joining group surveys of Richmond Woodlands KBA, contact us via the form on this page.

Related information

Program
Birdata

To save birds, we need reliable data. Birdata is Australia's online national bird monitoring platform. Compiled by professional researchers and citizen scientists, Birdata is Australia's longest running digital database for bird sightings with more than 30 million records (and counting).

Key Biodiversity Area
Richmond Woodlands Key Biodiversity Area

Richmond Woodlands is a Key Biodiversity Area important for the Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeater and Swift Parrot.