Kakadu National Park
🇦🇺 Australia
🐊 Saltwater Crocodile's Ancient River RealmKakadu National Park sits in the tropical savanna of Australia’s Northern Territory, a mosaic of floodplains, sandstone escarpments and monsoon‑driven wetlands. Saltwater crocodiles linger in river pools, agile wallabies bound across the ridges, and flocks of magpie geese gather on the shallow seasonally‑filled lagoons.
-13.358° S 132.595° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Saltwater Crocodile
Crocodylus porosus
★ 
Magpie Goose
Anseranas semipalmata
★ 
Agile Wallaby
Macropus agilis
★ 
Frill-necked Lizard
Chlamydosaurus kingii
📊 Most Spotted
Whistling Kite
Haliastur sphenurus
Bar-shouldered Dove
Geopelia humeralis
Torresian Crow
Corvus orru
Peaceful Dove
Geopelia placida
Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua galerita
Bauxite Rainbow Skink
Carlia amax
Little Corella
Cacatua sanguinea
Willie Wagtail
Rhipidura leucophrys
White-bellied Cuckooshrike
Coracina papuensis
Blue-winged Kookaburra
Dacelo leachii
intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Eastern Short-eared Rock-wallaby
Petrogale wilkinsi
Black Flying-fox
Pteropus alecto
Pseudochirus dahlii
Pseudochirus dahlii
Woodward S Wallaroo
Macropus bernardus
Northern Quoll
Dasyurus hallucatus
Little Red Flying Fox
Pteropus scapulatus
Common Brushtail
Trichosurus vulpecula
Wallaroo
Macropus robustus
Sandstone Dibbler
Pseudantechinus bilarni
Northern Brown Bandicoot
Isoodon macrourus
Australian False Vampire Bat
Macroderma gigas
Antilopine Kangaroo
Macropus antilopinus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Whistling Kite
Haliastur sphenurus
Bar-shouldered Dove
Geopelia humeralis
Torresian Crow
Corvus orru
Peaceful Dove
Geopelia placida
Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua galerita
Little Corella
Cacatua sanguinea
Willie Wagtail
Rhipidura leucophrys
White-bellied Cuckooshrike
Coracina papuensis
Blue-winged Kookaburra
Dacelo leachii
intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
Green Oriole
Oriolus flavocinctus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Bauxite Rainbow Skink
Carlia amax
Argus Monitor
Varanus panoptes
Children's Python
Antaresia childreni
Mair's Keelback
Tropidonophis mairii
Common Prickly Gecko
Heteronotia binoei
Mertens's Water Monitor
Varanus mertensi
Brown Tree Snake
Boiga irregularis
Burton's Legless Lizard
Lialis burtonis
Gilbert's Dragon
Lophognathus gilberti
Water Python
Liasis fuscus
Olive Python
Liasis olivaceus
Common House Gecko
Hemidactylus frenatus
📊 Most Spotted
Eastern Cane Toad
Rhinella marina
Ranoidea caerulea
Ranoidea caerulea
Watjulum Frog
Litoria watjulumensis
Australian Rocket Frog
Litoria nasuta
Desert Tree Frog
Litoria rubella
Rockhole Frog
Litoria meiriana
Copland's Rock Frog
Litoria coplandi
giant frog
Ranoidea australis
Masked Frog
Litoria personata
Marbled Frog
Limnodynastes convexiusculus
Woodworker Frog
Limnodynastes lignarius
Ornate Burrowing Frog
Platyplectrum ornatum
Recent sightings in Kakadu National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
2Dry Season Raptor Activity
Controlled fires and dry conditions flush out prey, prompting high concentrations of predatory birds soaring and hunting across the savannas.
1Wetland Migration and Feeding
As the dry season progresses, receding water levels concentrate incredible numbers of waterbirds and aquatic life into shrinking billabongs, creating premier viewing spectacles.
3Wet Season Amphibian Emergence
Monsoonal rains transform the parched landscape, triggering massive breeding choruses and high activity among frogs and reptiles across the wetlands.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Wetland Migration and Feeding
- 2Dry Season Raptor Activity
- 3Wet Season Amphibian Emergence
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
I mostly hung around the birdhide but saw 32 species, including LGA ticks Australian and whiskered terns hunting over the billabong, an arafura shrikethrush, and a white-breasted woodswallow.
Nevertheless, one morning I found a female red-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) in the shade.
There are over 280 bird species in Kakadu and I reckon we saw every single one of them (not quite!) Whilst our tour guide pointed out every visible crocodile, I focussed on the incredible landscape, the bird life, the wild brumbies, the buffalo and the overall beauty of the billabongs we were travelling through.
They were exchanged as everyone tried to determine whether it was a genuine crocodile, or a “log-odile.” On the way back to the campsite, we saw a trio of dancing brolgas – though no dances were on at the time!
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Kakadu National Park?
The most likely sightings are Saltwater Crocodile (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Whistling Kite (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Bar-shouldered Dove (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Torresian Crow (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Peaceful Dove (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 790 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Kakadu National Park for wildlife?
June has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Saltwater Crocodile in Kakadu National Park?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Saltwater Crocodile sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 678 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Magpie Goose in Kakadu National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Magpie Goose sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 1,056 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Agile Wallaby in Kakadu National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Agile Wallaby sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 157 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Frill-necked Lizard in Kakadu National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Frill-necked Lizard sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 48 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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