We’ve all seen birds at the beach – silver gulls, common terns and oystercatchers, to name a few – but have you ever thought about those birds that you really only notice at certain times of the year? Have you noticed those mostly little birds fluttering busily about in the intertidal zones, scratching and probing the sand with their beak in search of a feed?

You might be surprised to learn that many of these birds have travelled a great distance to visit the shores of Eyre Peninsula, from places such as Siberia and the Arctic, China and Japan. You may also be impressed when you find out that these birds make such arduous, round-trip journeys every year. You may be further amazed to know that these journeys are carefully timed by the birds to take advantage of favourable weather conditions and seasonal increases in food abundance in both breeding and non-breeding areas, so the balance between survival and starvation is delicate and easily disturbed.

The migratory birds that visit Australia follow routes that are internationally recognised. They are called flyways and the most important for Australian-bound birds is the East Asia-Australasia Flyway, which stretches from Siberia and Alaska to Australia and New Zealand, travelling via South East Asia and Japan. According to Birds Australia, this flyway is used by an estimated five million birds across fifty-five species, and it encompasses twenty-two countries, many of which are developing nations.

This means that the East Asia-Australasian Flyway is also of great conservation importance, because 45% of the world’s total population live along this route. Such a huge population in such a small area of land means great social and economic pressures from pollution, hunting for sport and food, as well as the destruction of coastlines and wetlands for agriculture and development.

In Australia, the human population is concentrated around the coastal fringes, and development of coastal areas is a significant threat to the habitats on which these migratory shorebirds rely. It is therefore important to monitor the populations of migratory and resident shorebirds in order to make sure coastal land use does not adversely affect birdlife. Since the 1970s, EAAF countries have come to recognise the fragility of these species, and Australia now has international obligations to protect migratory shorebirds through the Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement, the China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement and is also a participant in the Convention on Migratory Species.

Current research puts the numbers of species of resident shorebirds that we see all year round in various regions of Australia at 18. However, there are about 36 migratory species that visit various areas around Australia regularly, and a further 21 species that are known as vagrants – that is, they visit our shores but move from site to site, foraging and recuperating from their long journey to the south. Their arrival and departure dates vary depending on the species and its origin, but most species spend their non-breeding season on Australian shores from July – October before setting off again from March to June, so now is the time to get out and do some bird-watching!

Eyre Peninsula is now recognised as a significant priority site for the conservation of shorebirds. If you think you would like to be involved in helping monitor populations of shorebirds on Eyre Peninsula, or if you would like more information on shorebirds, please contact your local NRM office for more information, phone 86 82 7555.

AUTHOR: Louise Mortimer, Coasts and Marine Management Officer, Western and Central Eyre, EP NRM Board.
CONTACT: Louise Mortimer, Telephone: 08 8682 7555 or www.epnrm.sa.gov.au