THE BIRDS OF THE NORTH COAST OF NSW AND

THEIR HABITATS

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Shorebirds, Coastal-birds & Coastal

Raptors

Habitat is defined as follows:

From the Latin = it dwells

Encyclopaedia Britannica: place where an organism lives, including all living and nonliving factors or conditions of the

surrounding environment

Free Dictionary: the natural environment of an organism; place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism:

What is a shorebird or wader?

Shorebirds (waders) are birds of beaches, estuaries, intertidal flats, saltmarshes and

freshwater wetlands

• size

• bills (beaks) - length, shape and colour

• legs - colour and length

3 points to look for in the field:

How do we tell the difference among shorebirds?

Coastal shorebirds’ lives are governed by the tide, not by the sun

• Usually feed on exposed mudflats

• Large daily requirement relative to body

weight

• Large birds feed the least

- slow metabolism

• Small birds feed constantly

• Feeding techniques ;

• “sandpiper strategy” slow walk and probe – sensory method

• “plover strategy” run & stop – visual method

• Good roosting area essential to conserve energy

• Feeding and roosting in flocks provide predator protection

Feeding Ecology

Feeding Ecology

2 types of shorebird in 2 types of shorebird in AustraliaAustralia

Migratory shorebirds• 36 species

regularly migrate to Australia

• 22 species regularly recorded in the Northern Rivers - plus 3 known vagrants

Resident shorebirds• 18 species live and

breed in Australia• Northern Rivers - 11

• Breed in the Northern Hemisphere from North China, Mongolia, Siberia, Alaska & Japan

• Migrate to non-breeding areas in the Southern Hemisphere – mainly coastal Aust. & NZ,

• Some inhabit inland wetlands such as lake Eyre

• Only ever experience summer (avoiding winter in both hemispheres).

• Start arriving in Australia in September

• Start their departure end of February

• One exception – NZ breeding Double-banded Plover winters in Australia

• Adults leave the breeding grounds two weeks prior to the young

• Young and old may over-winter in Australia

Migration Facts

• 5 million shorebirds migrate world-wide

• 2 million migrate to Australia

• 56 species regularly migrate world-wide

• 36 species migrate to Australia

• 22 species regularly migrate to NR

East Asian- Australasian Flyway

Breeding Area

Migratory Flyways of Shorebirds

• 20-29,000km round trip

• Regularly fly up to 8,000km non-stop (3-9 days non stop)

• Fly by day and night

• Altitudes 3,000-8,000m

• Speed 30-60km/hr

East Asian- Australasian Flyway

Migration - facts

AWSG

Prior to migration:

• Birds feed intensively & their body mass increases by up to 70-80%

• 2-5% weight gain per day

• Fat is deposited under the skin

• Exercise muscles increase in size

• Digestive organs enlarge

Note fat deposited in rear underbody

• Long, pointed wings for swift, long distance flight

Migration - adaptationsMigration - adaptations

Shorebird HabitatsShorebird Habitatsocean beaches

rivers lakes, dams and sewage ponds

sheltered bays

I Sutton

HABITAT: The Belongil Estuary – Byron Bay

HABITAT: The Brunswick River & Marshall’s Creek,

Brunswick Heads

HABITAT: Flat Rock Lennox Head

HABITAT: West Byron Wetlands

Bar-tailed Godwit – Limosa lapponica

• Breeds: Artic Tundra Length: 37-39cm

• Breeding Habitat: Artic tundra - treeless & mossy

• Habitat Australia: intertidal flats rarely far from coast - at high tide roosts will stand in shallow water as well as dry land

• Food: – molluscs, worms & aquatic insects

Breeding feathers

Flight of the Bar-tailed Godwit E7

• E7 in 2007 to undertake the longest non-stop flight of any bird.

• Travelled from Alaska to NZ

• The distance between these two locations is 9,575 kms,

• Actual track flown by the bird was 11,026 kms

• The flight took approximately nine days.

• The round trip approx 29,181 kms from March to September (6 months)

Grey-tailed Tattler

Pacific Golden Plover - Pluvialis fulva Breeds: Central & Eastern Siberia & Alaska Length: 23-

36cm• Habitat Australia: Intertidal sand & mudflats & rocky shores.Prefers to roost in saltwater couch

• Food: small marine invertebrates especially worms , insects & larvae when breeding

• Breeding Habitat: well drained tundra

Little Tern – breeds in Australia

migrates to Japan Little, Common & Crested Terns at Belongil

Crested Tern –breeds & lives in

Australia

Coastal Birds – Terns – feed on the ocean

Common Tern – breeds in Siberia & migrates to Australia for

summer

• Breed in Australia – seven known to breed in NR• Some stay in one place all year.• Others undertake nomadic movements - depending

upon availability of food and breeding opportunities. • Some nest exclusively on beaches• Others breed on ephemeral & permanent freshwater

wetlands• Some have moved beyond wetlands (Bush Stone

curlew)

Resident shorebirdsResident shorebirds

Grey-tailed Tattler

Red-capped Plover - Charadrius luficapillus

Breeds: All over Australia Length: 14-16cm

Habitat: Sandy beaches, mudflats, saltmarshes,

Food: molluscs & small crustaceans

Nest

Grey-tailed Tattler

Beach Stone-curlew – Eracus magnirostris

Breeds: Coastal Australia - mid WA to Victoria

Length: 54-59cm• Habitat : exposed & sheltered beaches

• Food: Crabs

• Nest: bare ground –beach debris

• Mainly nocturnal but influenced by

the tide

Grey-tailed Tattler

Pied Oystercatcher – Haematopus longirostris Breeds: Coastal Australia Length: 45-50cm

Habitat: Ocean beaches & intertidal mudflats

Food: bi-valve molluscs also worms, crustaceans & insects

One of a few shorebird that feeds it’s young

Crested Tern

Coastal Raptors – OspreyNests: place with a view, tops of trees, cliffs, man-made poles. Used for many years. Sticks are added each year

Habitat: Coastal waters & estuaries

Food: Fish only –will dive under water to 1 meter

NON SHOREBIRDS

Grey-tailed Tattler

Bush Stone -curlew – Burhinus grallarius Breeds: Australia (endangered in NSW)

Length: 52-58cm

Habitat: woodlands and cleared areas throughout Australia

Food: molluscs, insects, small mammals, seeds. Feeding takes place only at night.

Grey-tailed Tattler

Rainbow Bee-eaters – Merops ornatus Breeds: throughout Australia (not desert)

Length: 23-28cm

Habitat: sand dunes, cleared or lightly timbered forests

Food: insects

Grey-tailed Tattler

Black-fronted Dotterel – Elseyornis melanops Breeds: throughout Australia (like a plover , on the ground)

Length: 16-18cm

Habitat: near freshwater, not usually coastal

Food: aquatic and terrestrial insects

Essential estuaries & wetlands

• Estuaries & wetlands are a major food source for birds

• Food resources include plant life, roots and shoots, crustaceans, frogs, molluscs, worms, insects and fish

• Up to 70% of fish species caught in NSW rely on estuaries at some stage of their life cycle.

• The mangroves and sea grasses provide shelter for juvenile fish.

• Estuaries & wetlands provide near perfect conditions for raising chicks.

• In and around the Belongil estuary alone Byron Bird Buddies has recorded 142 species of birds.

Some Important Habitats for the Northern Rivers

The End Principal Bird photography sourced from

the InternetBird Song – A Field Guide to Australian

Birdsongs (BOACA)Additional Bird photography courtesy of

Debra Pearce, Reid Waters Bird Information from

The Slater Field Guide to Australian BirdsPrizzey & Knight Field Guide to the Birds of

AustralianM. Morecombe Field Guide to Australian

BirdsBirds Australia Website

Qld Wader Study Group PPShorebirds of Australia (Geering, Agnew,

Harding)