Goose nest in a late wetseason swamp near Kowanyama, NQ, February 1994 [PH].
White crane standing in marsh near Pormpuraaw, NQ [PH].
Wetland birds
Bodies of water throughout the Peninsula attract wetland birds, but it is the extensive floodplain lakes in the catchment areas of the major river systems near the Gulf which attract them in their greatest numbers and variety. During the wet season these floodplains are utilised as breeding, roosting, feeding and moulting habitat by a wide range of waterbirds.
Notable species are the Australian pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus, darter Anhinga melanogaster, pied cormorant Phalacrocorax varius, little pied cormorant P. melanoleucos, great cormorant P. carbo, little black cormorant P. sulcirostris, great-billed heron Ardea sumatrana, pacific heron A. pacifica, white-faced heron A. novaehollandiae, pied heron A. pictata, intermediate egret Egretta intermedia, great egret E. alba, rufous night heron Nycticorax caledonicus, black-necked stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus, glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus, sacred ibis Threskiornis aethiopica, straw-necked ibis T. spinicollis, magpie goose Anseranas semipalmata, wandering whistling-duck Dendrocygna arcuata, plumed whistling-duck D. eytoni, radjah shelduck Tadorna radjah, Pacific black duck Anas superciliosa, grey teal A. gibberifrons, pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus, hardhead duck Aythya australis, green pygmy goose Nettapus pulchellus, Eurasian coot Fulica atra, brolga Grus rubicundus, sarus crane G. antigone, comb-crested jacana Irediparra gallinacea, masked lapwing Vanellus miles and black-winged stilt Himantopus himantopus.
Terns and waders are common but not reliably distinguished during aerial surveys.
The area is considered to support important breeding populations of magpie goose, wandering whistling-duck, brolga, sarus crane, royal spoonbill Platalea regia, great egret, intermediate egret, little black cormorant, little pied cormorant, darter and radjah shelduck.
The area also supports important dry season populations of brolga, sarus crane, radjah shelduck and little black cormorant.
Other wetland fauna
Freshwater crocodiles Crocodylus johnstoni and saltwater crocodiles Crocodylus porosus are common in the area.
Wetland flora
Wetland plants include waterlilies such as the giant waterlily, Nymphaea gigantea and a slender yellow-flowered waterlily sp., Nymphoides hydrocharoides. Also abundant is the bulguruw or spikerush, Eleocharis spp..