Tawny Frogmouth
Podargus strigoides
Animalia: Aves
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Wiilman Noongar Country
Part of Dryandra Woodland network
Part of Dryandra Woodland network
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Perfect for the kids - this short one kilometre walk is designed for walking at night in search of animals. The markers are reflective and the trail is easy, starting from the Old Mill picnic area, walk in an anticlockwise direction. There is an extended option if you wish to walk further.
Dryandra Woodland features the largest area of remnant vegetation in the western Wheatbelt and forms part of an international biodiversity ‘hotspot’ where more than 850 species of plants can be seen.
Book a guided tour at the Barna Mia Animal Sanctuary, find out more here.
For more information about this area see the Dryandra Woodland Network page.
(08) 9881 2064
Private cottage accommodation
Nocturnal animal tours
Comprehensive information on the Golden Outback region including destinations, things to see and do, accommodation and tours.

Dryandra Woodland is a valuable nature conservation area featuring the largest remnant of original vegetation in the western Wheatbelt. More than 25 mammals, 100 birds and 50 reptiles call Dryandra home, including Western Australia’s state mammal emblem, the numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus).
Famous for its open eucalypt forests (wandoo and mallet), it shelters over 850 floral species, many of which erupt into flower during the spring. The woodland also encompasses a mix of jarrah, sheoak thickets and kwongan heathlands, plus there are five types of 'poison bush' found here that contain the toxin 1080. Local fauna have co-evolved with these plants and are immune.
The woodland is home to over 100 bird species, including the striking Carnaby's black-cockatoo, the rare bush stone-curlew, and the mound-building malleefowl. More than 50 reptile species, including various skinks, dragons, and monitors, inhabit the woodland floor.
The area is a key stronghold for threatened native species like the numbat, woylie, tammar wallaby, chuditch, quenda, and red-tailed phascogale. Many of Dryandra's most famous animals are active at night. Taking a quiet torch-lit walk from campgrounds can reward you with sightings. For guaranteed sightings of endangered and nocturnal species (including the numbat, woylie, and bilby), you can book a guided, predator-proof spotlight tour at the Barna Mia Animal Sanctuary.
Take a guided nocturnal tour in a tranquil sanctuary that has become home for some of Western Australia’s native animals facing extinction.
Barna Mia is an animal sanctuary with a difference. Nestled in the heart of Dryandra Woodland National Park, south-east of Perth, Barna Mia is a place to discover threatened native marsupials in a natural setting, and experience the wonders of the woodland. Once the sun has set the action begins. A tour guide takes visitors on a delightful journey through the sanctuary. With the guide's special torches, you can see threatened native animals such as bilby, woylie, mala, quenda and boodie.
https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/site/barna-mia-nocturnal-wildlife-experience
Dryandra Woodland offers a peaceful Wheatbelt setting for visitors who want to pair a day on the trails with an evening under the stars. Nearby Narrogin is an official Astrotourism WA town, recognised as a welcoming place for stargazing and astrophotography.
Away from the brighter lights of larger towns, clear nights around Dryandra can reveal a brilliant canopy of stars. After exploring the woodland by day, stay a little longer to enjoy the quiet of the bush after dark, when the night sky and nocturnal wildlife become part of the experience.
Dryandra is also home to Barna Mia, a guided nocturnal wildlife experience where visitors can learn about some of Western Australia’s threatened native animals in a tranquil woodland sanctuary. It makes the area a memorable place to connect with both the stars above and the wildlife of the woodland after sunset.
For the best stargazing experience, plan your visit close to a new moon, choose a clear night and give your eyes time to adjust to the dark. Please keep artificial light to a minimum, use a red-light torch where possible, stay on marked tracks and follow all park and campground guidelines.
Find out more about the world above
Find about more about events in WA's Astrotourism Towns
Learn how Sky Quality Meter readings are used to measure night sky brightness
Find out more about the nearest Astrotourism Town
Here is everything you need to know before visiting this trail.
30 minutes (1.5 hours for extended walk)
1km loop (extended walk 2.7km)
By road to Dryandra via Wandering. 170km (2 hours) south east of Perth.
Class 2
Easy trail with modified or hardened surface, and gentle hills or occasional steps. Clear directional signage. No bushwalking experience required. May be suitable for assisted wheelchair users (if ramps are provided at steps).
Group B - Hiking & Long Distance Trails (Bushwalks and/or longer trails)
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions undertakes 1080 baiting at this location to reduce the impacts of feral cats and foxes on native wildlife.
Meat baits containing 1080 poison are laid in or around this area on an ongoing basis. 1080 is poisonous to humans and will kill domestic cats and dogs. Please leave your pets at home or prevent them from entering this area.
For further information contact your local Parks and Wildlife Service office or visit Western Shield.
There are campgrounds at Congelin Dam and Gnaala Mia. There is cottage accommodation at Lions Dryandra Village. Picnic facilities are available at Dryandra village and the Old MIll Dam. Barna Mia is an animal sanctuary within Dryandra, offering night tours.
19°C
Feels like 18°C
Max 19°C
Min 9°C
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