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Issues to consider in the development of a

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PLAN

FOR MIGRATORY SHOREBIRDS

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SUMMARY ...........................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................2 What is a Wildlife Conservation Plan?..............................................................4 Legislative issues to be considered..................................................................6

1. Objectives.................................................................................................................... 6

2. Criteria against which the achievement of the objectives can be measured .............. 7

3. Actions identified to achieve the objectives .............................................................. 10

4. Identification of habitats and actions needed to protect those habitats. .................. 12

5. Identification of interests that may be affected by the plans implementation.......... 17

6. Identification of organisations and persons involved in implementing and evaluating the performance of the plan .......................................................................................... 20

7. Specification of major benefits to migratory species, marine species, species of cetacean or conservation dependant species (other than those to which the plan relates) that will be affected by the plan’s implementation. ......................................... 22

Some other issues to be considered. .............................................................23

Which species should the plan cover? .......................................................................... 23

The layout of the Plan ................................................................................................... 26

Indigenous issues .......................................................................................................... 27

Population Monitoring and Research Priorities .......................................................... 28 Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................31 Glossary of Terms and Acronyms...................................................................32 References ........................................................................................................33 Appendix A - Background Information ...........................................................34 Appendix B - Migratory shorebirds in Australia.............................................42

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SUMMARY Migratory species, including shorebirds, which visit Australia, received national protection as a matter of national environmental significance when the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) took effect in July 2000. Under the Act, wildlife conservation plans can be prepared to provide for the research and management actions necessary to support the survival of listed migratory species.

The Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage is preparing a Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds in consultation with relevant stakeholders. The aims are to provide a strategic framework for the management of migratory shorebirds and to outline national activities to support flyway initiatives including the Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway.

This will be the first wildlife conservation plan developed under the EPBC Act and as such, the Department of the Environment and Heritage is keen to consult as broadly and comprehensively as possible, in order to produce a plan that is robust and contributes positively to the protection and conservation of migratory shorebirds.

This issues paper is the first step in developing the plan. The purpose is to provide background on migratory shorebirds, outline the statutory and legal requirements of a wildlife conservation plan and to stimulate discussion and seek feedback from interested stakeholders.

This issues paper addresses topics relevant to the conservation of migratory shorebirds, including habitat protection, species prioritisation, education, awareness and capacity building. The paper also provides options for the format of the plan. It provides an important opportunity for all stakeholders to participate in the development of the draft plan.

We encourage you to get involved and provide your comments by 1 August 2004, to Vicki Cronan, by email at Vicki.cronan@deh.gov.au or by mail to the Migratory and Marine Species Section, Department of the Environment and Heritage, PO Box 787 Canberra ACT 2601. Further copies of this issues paper are available for downloading from the DEH website at: http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/migratory/shorebirds/issues/index.html .

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INTRODUCTION Migratory shorebirds fly many thousands of kilometres from their breeding grounds to their non-breeding grounds, generally flying from one hemisphere to another and back again in a single year. The East Asian-Australasian Flyway stretches from the breeding grounds of Siberia and Alaska southwards through east and south-east Asia, to the non-breeding grounds of Australia and New Zealand.

There are some 36 species of migratory shorebirds that regularly visit Australia during their non-breeding season from spring to autumn. Several other species also visit intermittently. Australia’s coastal and freshwater wetlands are critical to these migratory shorebirds during the non-breeding season as places to rest and feed, so birds can build enough energy reserves to travel the long distance (up to 13,000km) back to their breeding grounds. In the month or two before migratory shorebirds head north many species need to increase their bodyweight by up to 70% to sustain their journey. There is a growing need to conserve shorebirds and minimise the threats to the habitats critical to their survival in the face of ever increasing human development across the world. Efforts to conserve migratory shorebirds in one country can only be effective with the cooperation and complementary actions of all countries in a species’ migration path. Governments and conservation groups have undertaken some major projects relating to migratory shorebirds and their habitats, including the Australasian Wader Studies Group population count and colour flagging programs which have been operational for many years and have been successful due to the large number of volunteers that have contributed to these projects. Additionally, the Shorebird Conservation Project, currently being undertaken by a consortium of non-government conservation groups across Australia, is engaging communities in conservation activities at priority sites for migratory shorebirds. This important work for the conservation of migratory shorebirds in Australia and the East Asian – Australasian Flyway is primarily funded by the Australian Government through the Natural Heritage Trust. Through the variety of research and volunteer programs that have been carried out, there is a strong baseline of information on migratory shorebirds throughout Australia. However, much remains unknown and it is important to sustain research and monitoring activities in order to detect significant changes in shorebird populations. Whilst there is a strong network between many of the conservation groups who have an interest in migratory shorebirds, there may be many projects that would benefit from a coordinated system of communication and information exchange. A Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds should contribute to a more coordinated approach to future research, monitoring and communication between

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Governments, conservation groups and industry and would ensure future conservation measures are strategic and complement each other. It is envisaged that the wildlife conservation plan will describe existing programs and conservation measures and identify future research and management needs to ensure the long-term survival of, as well as minimise the impact of the threats to migratory shorebirds and their habitats. Some of the challenges of the plan will be to develop a framework that will:

! Educate, inform and influence community attitudes towards migratory shorebirds ! Identify priority or key species and research activities ! Identify important habitat sites for migratory shorebirds ! Achieve a consistent, national method for estimating population size ! Provide a framework for research, monitoring and capacity building activities on a

national/international level ! Promote the wise use of the wetland habitats on which migratory shorebirds depend

The purpose of this issues paper is to stimulate discussion and seek feedback from interested stakeholders to inform the development of a draft wildlife conservation plan for migratory shorebirds. The paper is divided into 3 sections:

1. What is a wildlife conservation plan – this section sets out the legislative

requirements of the plan 2. Legislative issues to be considered – Including objectives, actions of the plan, and

identification of habitat. 3. Other issues to be considered.

Annexed to the issues paper is a background document which attempts to summarise the existing international and domestic conservation measures already in place for migratory shorebirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway. The wildlife conservation plan will aim to build upon these existing measures by providing a formal framework for future conservation actions.

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What is a Wildlife Conservation Plan? A wildlife conservation plan sets out the research and management actions necessary to support survival of migratory species listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the Act).

Australia is already involved in a wide range of activities that promote the conservation of migratory shorebirds, both here and across the flyway. Developing a Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds will provide a strategic framework that will aim to ensure these activities plus future research and management actions, remain focused on the long-term survival of migratory shorebirds and their habitats. A review of the plan must take place at intervals of not longer than 5 years, however the Minister may review a wildlife conservation plan at anytime and consider whether a variation is necessary. The Act specifies that the content of any plan must include:

1. Objectives to be achieved, 2. Criteria to which the achievement of those objectives can be measured, 3. Actions needed to achieve the objectives, 4. Identification of habitats and actions needed to protect those habitats, 5. Identification of interests that may be affected by the plans implementation, 6. Identification of organisations and persons involved in evaluating the performance of

the plan, 7. Specification of any major benefits to migratory species (other than those to which the

plan relates) that will be affected by the plan’s implementation. As the above points must be included in the plan, this issues paper provides a section on each point. In each section options are provided and questions are posed. These options do not necessarily define the scope of the plan, rather they are designed to stimulate discussion and seek your views. We would be grateful for your input to the development of the plan by addressing these questions, and where appropriate, offering other suggestions for enhancing the content of the plan. In providing your input, you should keep in mind the following issues which the Act specifies must be considered when developing a wildlife conservation plan: 1. The objects of the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (these

are provided below) 2. The efficient and effective use of the resources that are allocated to migratory species, 3. Minimisation of significant adverse social and economic impacts, 4. Meeting Australia’s obligations under international agreements and conventions, and 5. The role and interests of indigenous people in the conservation of Australia’s

biodiversity.

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Objects of the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 The objects of the Act are:

a) to provide for the protections of the environment, especially those aspects of the environment that are matters of national environmental significance: and

b) to promote ecologically sustainable development through the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of natural resources; and

c) to promote the conservation of biodiversity; and d) to promote a co-operative approach to the protection and management of the

environment involving governments, the community, land-holders and indigenous peoples; and

e) to assist in the co-operative implementation of Australia’s international environmental responsibilities; and

f) to recognise the role of Indigenous people in the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of Australia’s biodiversity; and

g) to promote the use of Indigenous people’s knowledge of biodiversity with the involvement of, and in co-operation with, the owners of the knowledge.

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Legislative issues to be considered 1. Objectives Introduction Section 287 of the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, sets out the legislative requirements of the content of Wildlife Conservation Plans. It states among other things, that plans must state the objectives to be achieved. The following objectives will not necessarily be included in the plan; rather they are designed to seek your views and thoughts on the possible content of the plan. You may wish to suggest completely different objectives or provide comments on the ones put forth. Options Some suggested objectives of the plan might include the following:

1. Provide a framework for existing and future management of migratory shorebirds in Australia in accordance with global flyway objectives. (The Australian Government is cooperating with countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region to conserve waterbirds and their habitat under the Asia Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy and its current component the Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway 2001-2005, and is leading development of regional arrangements for migratory waterbirds under the World Summit on Sustainable Development).

2. Inform managers of what is required to achieve the long-term survival of migratory

shorebirds, by identifying and supporting priority research and monitoring programs.

3. Protect and conserve the wetland habitats on which migratory shorebirds depend,

through a coordinated approach to identification, research and management of sites which are nationally and internationally important.

4. Increase awareness of the importance of conserving migratory shorebirds and their

habitats, through a strategic approach to community education and capacity building.

Questions

Do the above objectives encompass the full range of goals that we aim to achieve? If not, please suggest alternative or additional objectives.

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2. Criteria against which the achievement of the objectives can be measured Measuring the achievement of the objectives will be a complex, but important component of the wildlife conservation plan. It will allow those responsible for evaluation to determine the level of success of the plan. It will enable those implementing the plan to identify gaps and inconsistencies and make recommendations for adjusting the actions in order to meet the objectives. Methods for establishing criteria to which achievement of objectives can be measured could be qualitative or quantitative. The criteria may be focused on an overarching statement or goal from the plan, assessing each objective individually or evaluating the actions required to meet the objectives.

2.1. Overarching statement/criteria Often management or recovery plans contain broad overarching qualitative criteria for measuring the achievement of the objectives. In the case of migratory shorebirds such a statement could look like “populations of migratory shorebirds remain stable or increase” or “reverse the decline of those species that are of high conservation concern”. However, as migratory shorebirds travels traverse many regions, oceans and countries across the hemispheres, this approach may not be appropriate to a national plan for Australia. In order to conserve shorebirds globally, actions in one country will only succeed if they are complemented by conservation actions in other countries. In developing this plan, it is important to be mindful that Australia has limited influence on the populations of migratory shorebirds during their migration and breeding season. Therefore it would be unwise to make overarching statements such as those outlined above, as, if the population of a particular species were affected as the result of a major threat in another country, this would erroneously indicate the failure of the plan in Australia. If an overarching statement were to be used in order to measure the achievements of the objectives, it would need to be limited to conservation of shorebird habitat in Australia and/or limited to the populations of shorebirds in Australia at any one time. Such a statement could look like: ! Populations of migratory shorebirds entering Australia are maintained during any

one season by providing suitable habitat for them to rest and feed in order to undertake the return migration to their northern hemisphere breeding grounds.

Statements such as this could be verified through existing programs such as the population monitoring program that is currently carried out by the AWSG.

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2. 2 Criteria based on the Objectives Alternatively, criteria could be established to measure the performance of the objectives individually. Using the example objectives in section 1, this approach may be presented in the following approach: Objective 1 Provide a framework for existing and future management of migratory shorebirds in Australia in accordance with global flyway objectives. (Currently the Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway 2001 –2005) Possible examples based on Objective1 As the Action Plan covers the years 2001 – 2005, the measurement of achieving this objective could be as simple as: # All actions pertaining to Australia outlined in the Action Plan implemented by the

date of expiry (for the current action plan this is December 2005), or # All reasonable steps to implement the actions outlined in the Action Plan have been

taken. Objective 2 Inform managers of what is required to achieve the long-term survival of migratory shorebirds, by identifying and supporting priority research and monitoring programs. Possible examples based on Objective 2

# Priority research and monitoring programs identified, agreed and implemented for

key species, or # Efforts, including research and monitoring programs, to conserve migratory

shorebirds in Australia, and by Australia in other countries of the flyway, have been implemented.

Objective 3

Conserve the wetland habitats of international and national importance on which migratory shorebirds depend, through a coordinated approach to identification, research and management of sites.

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Possible examples based on Objective 3 # Important sites have management actions implemented or in the process of being

developed. # The Shorebird Action Plan, Site Network approach to habitat conservation is

applied and activities to build the network are identified and implemented. Objective 4

Increase awareness of the importance of conserving migratory shorebirds and their habitats, through a strategic approach to capacity building and community education. Possible examples based on Objective 4 # Awareness of migratory shorebirds and their conservation needs are enhanced

among the public and decision makers. # Natural Resource Management regional bodies incorporate migratory shorebird

conservation needs into their plans.

2.3 Evaluation of the actions In the next section, the paper discusses the actions identified to achieve the objectives. A number of suggested actions are put forth which relate to possible objectives. A third quantifiable way of establishing criteria to measure the achievement of the objectives could be to evaluate the implementation of the actions under the plan. Such a criteria could look like: ‘Ninety percent of actions identified to achieve the objectives are successfully implemented during the life of the plan’. You may find that this option becomes clearer after reading the relevant section ‘Actions Identified to achieve the Objectives’. Questions 1. Which of the above options for measuring the achievement of the objectives is

most appropriate? 2. If another, how would you establish criteria for measuring the achievement of the

objectives?

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3. Actions identified to achieve the objectives Introduction The Act specifies that actions must be identified to achieve the objectives. Many of the actions identified below are already being carried out by Governments, non-Government organisations and bird conservation groups and are producing strong conservation outcomes. This plan will provide a framework which will enable such groups to maintain this important momentum and build on existing measures in order to protect migratory shorebirds for future generations to enjoy. A number of actions have been suggested below that may provide a basis for meeting objectives. 1. Possible actions to support an objective based on global flyway objectives. Currently

the Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway 2001 –2005 (the Action Plan can be accessed from the following website: http://www.deh.gov.au/water/wetlands/mwp/2001-2005/sectiond.html)

! Support nomination of 25% of the sites of international importance for migratory

shorebirds in Australia to the Shorebird Site Network. (A component of the action plan is the Shorebird Site Network. The network operates as a cooperative environmental program, involving site management bodies and local communities, working for the conservation of wetlands of international importance for migratory shorebirds (Wetlands International 2003)).

! Develop and support training programs in population monitoring and wetlands management for site managers and staff and general public.

! Support development and implementation of a consistent national method to monitor shorebird populations.

! Support migration research. ! Support the development and ongoing maintenance of a database to collate

shorebird counts in the flyway. 2. Possible actions to support an objective relating to shorebird research and population

monitoring.

! Identify and agree priority/key species for research programs ! Identify and support research programs on conservation status, including

population estimates and species distribution for priority species. ! Identify ways to integrate research and enhance collaboration ! Support ongoing monitoring programs for all key species.

3 Possible actions to support an objective based on habitat conservation.

! Agree criteria for identification of sites of national and international importance. ! Collect and publish information on important habitat

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! Support the WSSD Type II regional partnership on migratory birds, through nomination of wetlands of international importance to the site network for the Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway.

! Support nomination of wetlands of international and national importance for inclusion on Ramsar and/or the national Directory.

! Support the development of management actions for wetlands of international and national importance.

! Support research on feeding, roosting and breeding areas of migratory shorebirds. ! Identify ways to integrate research and enhance collaboration. ! Implement environment impact assessments to ensure impacts on shorebirds are

minimised.

4. Possible actions to support an objective based on education, awareness and capacity building. ! Promote public and community education and conservation awareness, through the

development of strategic programs and educational products. ! Promote the exchange of information on shorebird conservation and habitat

management, between all levels of Government, NGOs and Community through the use of networks, publications and web sites. This could be through the development of a formal communication strategy. To ensure the ongoing success of a communication strategy one organisation/agency would be required to coordinate activities and act as the library, or conduit, for the exchange of information.

! Support development of an action group/network to advise on implementation of priority awareness and capacity building initiatives.

Questions Are the actions identified adequate for each objective? If not, what other actions would you recommend? If you have identified other objectives, what actions would you include for them?

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4. Identification of habitats and actions needed to protect those habitats. Introduction Shorebirds are particularly vulnerable to loss and modification of habitat. Their ability to complete long flights depends on the availability of suitable habitat and the capacity of those habitats to provide adequate food and roosts, so that birds can build enough fat reserves to sustain their annual migration. Degradation of habitat may lead to deterioration of the quantity and quality of food resources available to meet their requirements thus putting shorebirds at a disadvantage during their migration. The identification and protection of important habitat will therefore be a critical goal of the wildlife conservation plan. Shorebird habitat requirements vary greatly across the species of migratory shorebird (the attached table at Appendix B provides more detail on migratory shorebirds that visit Australia and their habitat preferences). One of the many complexities of migratory shorebird life cycle is their tendency for site fidelity, generally returning to the same sites year after year. Habitat of a certain type (eg. coastal mudflats at the mouth of a river), although quite possibly suitable habitat to support shorebirds, may not be visited by shorebirds in significant numbers, or at all. Therefore specific sites which support significant numbers of shorebirds are as important, if not more so, than habitat type. 4.1 Identification of important habitat sites

As noted in the background information in Appendix A, much has been done to identify and conserve important sites for migratory shorebirds, including nomination of sites as wetlands of international importance under the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention), and inclusion in the shorebird site network under the Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway 2001-2005. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. More information on Ramsar can be found on line at www.ramsar.org.

Both Ramsar and the shorebird site network have used the criteria ‘supports 1% of the population’ or ‘regularly supports 20,000 or more birds of mixed species’ to determine international importance of the site, and this should provide a useful guide when assessing the relative importance of shorebird habitat under the wildlife conservation plan. However, the criteria for determining an internationally important site may not be the only criteria that influences whether a site is nationally important for shorebirds in Australia. For example, the importance of a site nationally may be its use as a stopover for continually transitional populations, so the number of birds using the site may be difficult to calculate.

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Other factors may also include: ! the length of time the shorebirds spend at a site. ! the time of the season the birds spend there and the activity of the birds (resting,

feeding prior to migration). ! regional significance – i.e. its proximity to other important habitats (Hunter estuary

for example, the most important site in NSW, is some distance from other important sites)

! whether it is an important habitat for juvenile shorebirds that do not migrate north for the breeding season.

! the location of the site and its condition (pristine wetlands vs degraded wetlands).

Another issue regarding important habitat is the degree of importance of areas within sites. For example a large area may be considered internationally or nationally important site, but within that site there may be more valuable areas than others, such as regular roosting and feeding areas for the shorebirds that depend on the site. In promoting the wise use of wetlands it may be pertinent to protect such areas from development and recreational activities that may disturb the birds, but allow these activities within the boundary of the site in other areas. A possible action of the wildlife conservation plan, could be to undertake further research to establish criteria to determine a hierarchy of levels of significance of important sites internationally, nationally, regionally and at the site level itself, identify important sub-sites. Questions –Identification of important habitats

1. How should national significance of sites be defined? Eg is the criterion, “supports 1% of the national population of a animal taxa”, appropriate for determining habitat of importance to migratory shorebirds in Australia?

2. If not, what do you think should be included in the criteria?

Which sites will the Plan include?

Some potential inclusions in the plan:

! Ramsar listed sites that are listed for their importance to migratory shorebirds. The Ramsar database can be accessed from the following URL: http://www.deh.gov.au/water/wetlands/database/index.html

! Nationally listed sites on the Directory of Wetlands that are listed for their importance to migratory shorebirds. This database can be accessed from the following URL: http://www.deh.gov.au/water/wetlands/database/index.html

! Australian sites included on the flyway site network under the Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway.

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More information on these sites can be accessed from the following website: http://www.deh.gov.au/water/wetlands/mwp/guidelines/index.html

! Sites of international and national importance as identified in the Wetlands International Report. (Wetlands International and Birds Australia have been preparing a report on shorebird population estimates and important sites in Australia. They are in the final consultation stages of this report and a copy of the draft can be accessed from the following website: http://www.wetlands-oceania.org/)

Questions – Habitat 1 Which of the above habitat sites do you think should be included under the plan? 2. If other, what is your suggestion? 4.2 Actions needed to protect habitats Existing measures

The Department of the Environment and Heritage maintains the Australian Wetlands Database with information from State and Territory conservation agencies. This provides online access to the most recent information on Australia's Ramsar sites and Directory wetlands, our internationally and nationally important wetlands respectively. The database can be accessed at: http://www.deh.gov.au/water/wetlands/database/index.html

For Ramsar wetlands in a State or Territory, the EPBC Act requires that the Australian Government must use its best endeavors to ensure that a management plan is prepared and implemented in cooperation with the relevant State or Territory. The management plan must be consistent with Australia's obligations under the Ramsar Convention and with the Australian Ramsar Management Principles. The principles are set out in the regulations of the EPBC Act and cover matters relevant to the preparation of management plans, the environmental assessment of actions that may affect the site, and community consultation processes.

The Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia contains over 800 sites. Among the criteria for inclusion of wetlands on the Directory, two could relate to waterbirds. They are:

! it is a wetland which is important as the habitat for animal taxa at a vulnerable stage in their life cycles, or provides a refuge when adverse conditions such as drought, prevail, and

! it is a wetland that meets the criteria of supporting 1% or more of the national populations of any native plant or animal taxa.

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Wetlands listed on the Directory are managed in accordance with the Wetlands Policy of the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The policy can be accessed from the following URL: http://www.deh.gov.au/water/wetlands/publications/policy.html

Future measures

Threats to migratory shorebirds in Australia are greatest in coastal zones. Approximately 80% of Australians live in cities or local councils abutting the coast and around 25% currently live in within 3 kilometres of the coast. Threats to shorebirds are set to intensify with increasing pressure on Australia’s coastal areas. (Priest, Straw and Weston 2002)

A Coastal Policy Framework which addresses biodiversity conservation in the face of increasing pressure on our coastline has been developed and endorsed by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. Copies of the framework can be accessed from the following website: http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/information/pubs/framework.pdf An implementation plan for the framework is currently being developed and should be finalised by the end of 2004. Through a collaborative effort of all levels of government, conservation groups and industry, the wildlife conservation plan for migratory shorebirds will aim to protect important migratory shorebird habitat through a range of activities including appropriate legislation and policy frameworks, development and implementation of effective site management actions, communication tools, and community education and awareness programs. It will provide information to those with jurisdictional responsibility for managing important sites the value of conserving migratory shorebirds.

Effective Management actions

Ideally, management actions should be developed for each of the internationally and nationally important sites covered by the plan. Depending on how many sites are included in the plan, this could take a great deal of time and resources. A method for prioritising habitats of importance could be undertaken as part of the recommendations of the plan. Once habitats are prioritised there could be recommended timelines for developing effective management strategies. Questions – Management actions

1. How should we prioritise habitats for the purpose of developing effective management strategies? ! by the criteria for listing - that is the number of migratory shorebirds it

supports? ! do we focus on protecting wetlands that are in pristine conditions or restoring

those that are degraded and in need of rehabilitation, or attempt some combination of both?

! do we prioritise habitat by biodiversity – food and carrying capacity? ! by the level of threat to the habitat? ! regional importance?

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! Conservation status ! All or some of the above? ! Others, (please specify)

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5. Identification of interests that may be affected by the plans implementation Introduction Many interests may be affected by the plans’ implementation. One of the aims of this issues paper is to identify these interest groups and elicit responses on how the plan may affect them. This may also be a good opportunity to look at measures that may be taken by these interest groups to contribute to the plans implementation and if the plan has a negative impact on a group, how that impact may be mitigated to the mutual satisfaction of all involved. How stakeholders are affected and how they can contribute to the plan? The following table lists some of the interest groups, how they could contribute to the success of the plan and the potential impacts that may emerge from the plan’s implementation:

Interest Group Contribution Impacts/Benefits Australian Government

Responsible for developing, coordination and evaluation of the plan. Responsible for implementation of the plan in Commonwealth areas. Providing financial support for implementation of the plan.

Informed decision making regarding the EPBC Act referral and assessment process. Greater ability to deliver on domestic and international obligations with regard to migratory shorebird conservation. Increased knowledge of migratory shorebirds and their habitats – increased exchange of information.

State and Territory Government agencies

Contributing to the development of the plan. Responsible for implementation of the plan within jurisdictional boundaries.

Greater ability to deliver on state obligations with regard to migratory shorebird conservation. Increased knowledge of migratory shorebirds and their habitats – increased exchange of information.

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Interest Group Contribution Impacts/Benefits Local Government Contributing to the

development of the plan and taking the plan into consideration when reviewing planning schemes Responsible for implementation of on ground activities within jurisdictions.

Increased knowledge of migratory shorebirds and their habitats – increased exchange of information. Enhanced ability to deliver obligations with regard to migratory shorebird conservation.

Natural Resource Management (NRM) regional bodies

Integrating the plan into NRM regional plans.

Increased awareness of regional importance of important habitat sites. Informing managers of shorebird values. Opportunity to seek funding for conservation projects under the NHT.

Land councils and Traditional Owners Including those that have co-management or sole management responsibilities for important habitats.

Contributing to the development of the plan and development and implementation of site management plans – research and monitoring activities – contributing traditional knowledge.

Increased knowledge of migratory shorebirds and their habitats – increased exchange of information. Opportunity to seek funding for conservation projects and achieve ownership of projects. Develop research partnerships with scientists.

Conservation Groups

Contributing to the implementation and evaluation of the plan, particularly in conducting research and monitoring programs – implementing on ground activities.

Opportunity to seek funding for conservation and awareness projects. Greater coordination of targeted conservation projects.

Bird lovers/watchers Interest groups

Contributing to the plan and volunteering for conservation activities – implementing on ground activities.

More birds to enjoy.

Researchers

Contributing to the implementation and evaluation of the plan.

Increased exchange of information – opportunity to seek funding for research. Opportunity to establish collaborations.

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Interest Group Contribution Impacts/Benefits Recreational users of sites – beach users, 4wd groups, personal watercraft (jet skis etc) users, recreational fishers, horse groups, field and game groups.

Contributing to the development of the plan.

Some leisure activities that affect important habitat sites may need to be managed. These groups will be one of the main recipients for education and awareness activities that focus on how they may continue their activities and contribute to the conservation of migratory shorebirds at the same time.

Landholders

Contributing to the development and implementation of the plan

Potential land use impacts. These groups will be the target of education and awareness activities. Particularly on how site management plans may be implemented by landholders. Opportunity to build incentives into the plan for landholders to comply with recommendations. Enhance certainty with regard to EPBC referrals.

Commercial users of sites or surrounding area – aquaculture, salt mining, peat mining, commercial fisheries, farmers (surrounding land use), airports, maritime ports, wind farms –

Contributing to the Plan and implementing measures that minimise the impact of their operations on migratory shorebirds.

These groups will also be one of the main recipients for education and awareness activities, although theirs will focus on minimising the impacts of their operations on migratory shorebirds and the habitats on which they depend. Enhance certainty with regard to EPBC referrals.

Questions

1. Are you aware of any other groups that may be affected by the implementation of the plan?

2. Do you agree with the general responsibilities of each group? 3. If not, how would you define the responsibilities of each group?

4. Which of these stakeholder groups will be most affected by the plan and how?

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6. Identification of organisations and persons involved in implementing and evaluating the performance of the plan Introduction In order to ensure the plan remains relevant, a regular review must take place. Through evaluation of the plan priority actions can be identified that will contribute to the ongoing success of shorebird conservation activities. Under Section 294 of the EPBC Act, a review of the plan must take place at intervals of not longer than 5 years, however the Minister for the Environment and Heritage may review a wildlife conservation plan at anytime and consider whether a variation is necessary. Evaluation How and when the evaluation needs to occur is the subject of this section. Outlined below is a list of organisations/individuals that may have a role in evaluating the plan, and a number of options for how the evaluation may take place. These options concentrate on the establishment of a group or network to evaluate the performance of the plan. The role of such a group would be to provide advice to the Commonwealth on matters relating to enhancing implementation of the plan, such as:

• Species and habitat prioritisation

• Research priorities

• Priority awareness and capacity building initiatives

Possible Organisations or Persons

! Department of the Environment and Heritage – those areas with responsibility for relevant functions such as Wetlands, Migratory Species, Coastal issues and EPBC Referrals and Assessments.

! Other Commonwealth Agencies – Department of Defence, Department of Transport and Regional Services.

! State/Territory representatives – conservation, environment protection and Fisheries Agencies.

! Local Government – environment representatives from councils with significant sites - peak bodies, Environment Resource Offices

! Industry representation – fisheries/aquaculture, port authorities, airports ! Non Government Organisations – Wetlands International, Birds Australia,

AWSG, WWF, MCCN ! Indigenous Land Councils– Cooperative Management representatives ! Beach User groups – 4wd clubs, game and fishing groups, ! Scientists – experts in the field

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Possible method for evaluating the plan. Establish a working group or network made up of relevant stakeholders to monitor and evaluate the performance of the plan and advise on future research and management actions necessary to meet the objectives. The group could meet annually with inter-sessional work conducted by email and phone as much as possible. The Department of the Environment and Heritage could provide secretariat support for the working group. Terms of Reference for the group would need to be established as part of the wildlife conservation plan. Implementation The successful implementation of the plan will only happen through a combined effort of all the organisations or persons identified above. Only then can we capture existing knowledge, build on this knowledge and identify the actions needed to contribute to the conservation of migratory shorebirds. The plan should maintain a strong focus on the links between these bodies and how to meet the objectives of the plan. One option to drive implementation of the plan is to use the above working group to also advise on implementation issues. Questions

1. Can you think of any other organisations or persons that could be engaged in an evaluation process?

2. Are there other options that could be considered?

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7. Specification of major benefits to migratory species, marine species, species of cetacean or conservation dependant species (other than those to which the plan relates) that will be affected by the plan’s implementation. There are a number of major benefits to species other than migratory shorebirds, that will result from implementation of the wildlife conservation plan, including:

! Some migratory seabirds may benefit from the implementation of a wildlife conservation plan for migratory shorebirds. For example, the Little Tern (Sterna albifrons), listed as endangered under State threatened species legislation in NSW and Tasmania, shares similar habitats to migratory shorebirds and would therefore benefit from habitat management actions.

! Crocodiles in Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland may share

habitat with migratory shorebirds and may therefore benefit from habitat management actions.

! Coastal and freshwater wetlands serve as nurseries for many species of fish and

aquatic invertebrates. As much of the wildlife conservation plan will focus on identifying and developing effective management strategies for important habitats there will also be major conservation benefits for those marine species that share habitats with migratory shorebirds.

! Although it is not a legislative requirement to specify benefits to non-migratory

shorebirds, there are eighteen species of resident shorebirds including the Banded Stilt, Hooded Plover and Pied Oystercatcher that share many habitats and characteristics with their migratory relatives and thus would also gain major benefits from the plan’s implementation.

Questions

1. Can you identify any more major benefits to other migratory, marine, cetacean or conservation dependant species that will be affected by the plans implementation?

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Some other issues to be considered.

Which species should the plan cover? Introduction Australia’s coastal and freshwater wetlands play an important role for some 36 species of migratory shorebirds that regularly arrive for the non-breeding season (spring – autumn). They are also important for up to 21 species of vagrant shorebirds that may visit Australia in varying degrees of abundance, as well as provide habitat for many resident shorebirds. Resident shorebirds are not included in the migratory species list of the EPBC Act, therefore the plan can not include these species. The plan will however have some positive impact on these species as these birds share habitat and some characteristics with migratory shorebirds. The EPBC Act list of migratory species is derived from international agreements to which Australia is a party, namely the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the Japan Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA) and the China Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA). There are 44 species of migratory shorebirds listed to the species level (Table 1 below lists these species). Currently the list includes 36 species of migratory shorebirds that regularly visit Australia, 7 species of vagrant visitors and 1 species (the Painted Snipe) which, since the time of listing has been determined to be a resident species and is in the process of being removed from the migratory list. The question arises as to how the plan deals with the other 14 species of vagrant shorebirds (Table 2 lists these 14 vagrant species). The EPBC list of migratory birds uses the higher taxa listings from CMS in the following way ‘all species in the family Charadriidae for which Australia is a Range State’ and ‘all species in the family Scolopacidae, including the sub-family Phalaropodinae, formerly listed as the family Phalaropodidae, for which Australia is a Range State’. Even though these 14 species all belong to the above-mentioned families, Australia is not considered a range state, as they have not been recorded in high enough numbers to be considered regularly visiting Australia, and therefore they are not included in the EPBC list. In developing this plan we need to be mindful that this may not necessarily be or remain the case, as threats to shorebird habitats increase in other countries of the flyway, these 14 vagrant species may potentially become more reliant on Australia to provide suitable habitat. Additionally, the fact that these species have not been recorded in high enough numbers does not mean that they do not visit in high numbers. They may, for example be found in significant numbers in remote areas that are not monitored.

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Options for which species to include in the plan

1. Have just the 36 species of regular migratory shorebirds included in the plan. Obvious conservation benefits would flow to the vagrant species as they share habitat and characteristics with the regular migratory shorebirds.

2. Have a plan that includes the 44 species currently listed on the EPBC Act. This

will become 43 as painted snipe is removed from the list. 3. As per option 2, with an additional provision that, should any of the 14 vagrant

species not already included on the list become more apparent, a monitoring program for those species should be a priority.

Table 1 – Migratory Shorebirds Listed under the EPBC Act. Scientific Name1 Common Name1 Scolopacidae 2 Sandpipers Gallinago hardwickii Latham's Snipe Gallinago stenura Pin-tailed Snipe Gallinago megala Swinhoe's Snipe Limosa limosa Black-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica Bar-tailed Godwit Numenius minutus Little Curlew Numenius phaeopus Whimbrel Numenius madagascariensis Eastern Curlew Tringa totanus Common Redshank Tringa stagnatilis Marsh Sandpiper Tringa nebularia Common Greenshank Tringa glareola Wood Sandpiper Xenus cinereus Terek Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper Heteroscelus brevipes Grey-tailed Tattler Heteroscelus incanus Wandering Tattler Arenaria interpres Ruddy Turnstone Limnodromus semipalmatus Asian Dowitcher Calidris tenuirostris Great Knot Calidris canutus Red Knot Calidris alba Sanderling Calidris ruficollis Red-necked Stint Calidris subminuta Long-toed Stint Calidris bairdii Baird's Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris acuminata Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris alpina Dunlin Calidris ferruginea Curlew Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis Buff-breasted Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus Broad-billed Sandpiper Philomachus pugnax Ruff Phalaropus lobatus Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus fulicaria Grey Phalarope

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Rostratulidae Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis Painted Snipe Charadriidae 2 Plovers and Lapwings Pluvialis fulva Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis squatarola Grey Plover Charadrius hiaticula Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Little Ringed Plover Charadrius bicinctus 3 Double-banded Plover Charadrius mongolus Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii Greater Sand Plover Charadrius asiaticus Caspian Plover Charadrius veredus Oriental Plover Glareolidae Pratincoles Glareola maldivarum Oriental Pratincole

1 Taxonomy follows Christidis and Boles (1994) and updates, where necessary, outdated taxonomy used in the JAMBA and CAMBA.

2 Families listed under the Convention on Migratory Species. 3 Species which migrates between Australia and New Zealand not along the East Asian –

Australasian Flyway. Table 2 – Vagrant migratory shorebird species that are not on the EPBC list at the species level, but do visit Australia. Scientific Name Common Name Charadriidae Plovers and Lapwings Charadrius alexandrinus Kentish Plover Pluvialis dominica American Golden Plover Scolopacidae Sandpipers Tringa ochropus Green Sandpiper Limosa haemastica Hudsonian Godwit Tringa flavipes Lesser Yellowlegs Calidris minuta Little Stint Hydrophasianus chirurgus Pheasant-tailed Jacana Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher Haematopus finschi South Island Pied Oystercatcher Tringa erythropus Spotted Redshank Calidris himantopus Stilt Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda Upland Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis White-rumped Sandpiper Phalaropus tricolor Wilson’s Phalarope Questions

1. Which option do you prefer? 2. If none, what species do you think the plan should include?

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The layout of the Plan It is important that the plan recognises the important work that is already being done by many conservation groups and non- government organisations, and builds on these actions so that it will lead to real conservation outcomes for migratory shorebirds. It is proposed that the plan will be concise and targeted. The plan would call for actions to produce satellite documents that would inform implementation and management of the plan. These documents could provide the basis for action, provide data based on best information available, or offer specific criteria for how projects are managed under the plan. Such documents could include: ! The action plan for the conservation of migratory shorebirds in the EA-AF ! Overview of population status of shorebirds in the EA-AF ! Maps of, and information on, significant sites for migratory shorebirds in Australia ! Population monitoring protocols ! Communication strategy ! Supplementary administrative guidelines on significance under the EPBC Act.

Some of the above documents already exist, some are being developed and some would need to be supported under the plan. This layout would simplify and streamline the plan and rely on best available information that can be updated without the need for legislative amendments to the plan. Questions

1. Do you prefer another approach – if so, what approach would you take?

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Indigenous issues The Act specifies that in making a wildlife conservation plan, regard must be had to the role and interests of Indigenous people in the conservation of Australia’s biodiversity. Indigenous people attach great cultural and natural value to migratory shorebirds and their habitats and have a long history of traditional use of these resources. Some Indigenous communities have native title rights to land and resources of many sites significant to migratory shorebirds. For example, Aboriginal land stretches some 75% of the Northern Territory coastline of which there are up to 17 sites of international importance for migratory shorebirds.

There are number of avenues currently available to engage Indigenous communities in consultation and conservation activities under the EPBC Act and the Natural Heritage Trust. Under the Act an Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC) was established to advise the Minister for the Environment and Heritage on the operation of the EPBC Act, taking into account the significance of Indigenous people's knowledge of the management of land and the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The IAC have been invited to be involved in the consultation process for the development of the wildlife consultation plan.

Under the Natural Heritage Trust, thirteen Indigenous Land Management Facilitators around Australia provide a practical two-way link between Indigenous land managers and other individuals and agencies involved in sustainable land management and nature conservation activities. The goal of the Indigenous Land Management Facilitators Program project is to encourage Indigenous communities to participate in Natural Heritage Trust projects on land under their care, or in which they have an interest. More information on Indigenous Land Management Facilitators can be accessed from the following website: http://www.nrm.gov.au/indigenous/index.html

The wildlife conservation plan should recommend that Indigenous Land Management Facilitators encourage Indigenous communities to identify projects relating to the conservation of migratory shorebirds on land under their care, or which they have an interest in, and to apply for funding under the Trust, particularly if the land includes sites of international or national importance for migratory shorebirds.

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Population Monitoring and Research Priorities Introduction Baseline information is required to prioritise and monitor management actions for migratory shorebirds and their habitats. Through the variety of research and volunteer programs that have been carried out, there is a good baseline of information on migratory shorebirds and the habitats on which they depend throughout Australia. However, much remains unknown and it is important to sustain research and monitoring activities in order to detect significant changes in shorebird populations and their habitats. Without scientifically robust information on population status and distribution, success or failure of conservation actions cannot be assessed. Population estimates

Population estimates are used to determine the importance of habitat areas and to monitor changes over time. Monitoring populations therefore plays a vital role in informing the plan. Monitoring of bird distributions and populations throughout the migration routes is still less than comprehensive; thus knowledge of population sizes and trends of many species are limited. There is a need to increase our knowledge and understanding of population estimates and trends in Australia.

Estimating shorebird populations on a national basis is an extremely difficult and complex task as there are hundreds of sites that support migratory shorebirds in Australia and limited people (mainly volunteers) available to carry out the necessary monitoring required to achieve robust estimations of populations. Coordination on a national basis would be required in order to undertake a comprehensive monitoring program and would need the support of government, conservation groups, researchers and a large volunteer workforce. Which species? There are 36 species of regular migratory shorebirds in Australia, it would be difficult to collect thorough population data and maintain monitoring programs on each species for many reasons, including:

• Different species or populations arrive at and leave sites at different times of the year, making regular monitoring difficult to plan.

• Some species or populations may occur in remote sites that are difficult to access. • The flocking nature of the species may make it difficult to count accurately.

To gather a full set of data on all species would require more frequent counts and would require an enormous amount of resources. One option is to focus monitoring programs on key species and sites in order to gather a data set that may provide some form of representative data for all species.

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Data Storage

An action of this plan could be to make a recommendation to review current methodologies in estimating migratory shorebird populations and develop and agree a consistent approach that can be used nationally year after year. This could increase robustness of the data collected and facilitate better exchange of information.

There are four main global/regional and national computer-based databases that store information on waterbirds and their habitats. They are:

• Database of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands)

• Shorebird Database (Australian Wader Study Group –AWSG) • International Waterbird Census Database (Wetlands International) • World Bird Database (BirdLife International)

The AWSG, Wetlands International and the Birdlife International databases are largely based on aggregations of data collected by the AWSG. The issue of ownership and access to these databases would need to be investigated.

The information from these databases could be used as a platform from which to base decisions on future activities on population monitoring in Australia. The AWSG shorebird database would most likely provide the most current and relevant information for Australia as they currently undertake 2 regular population-monitoring exercises per year in spring and autumn at some 20 – 30 sites of international importance. More frequent counts may be carried out at some of these sites.

Maps of the internationally important sites for shorebirds in Australia will be an important component of the plan and will be a major benefit to migratory species as they will assist the Australasian Wader Studies Group to improve the quality of information in the shorebird count database by using the maps to guide count activities. They will also provide a basis for counters to record changes at count sites. These maps will also assist decision makers in assessing referrals and developing policy under the EPBC Act, and in identifying priority sites for funding through the Natural Heritage Trust programs.

Habitat

The complex life cycle of migratory shorebirds is such that to protect and conserve them, consideration of the habitats on which they depend will be a significant element of the plan.

There is a need to identify habitat research priorities. Habitat research could focus on such things as:

Ways of quantifying the condition of habitat. Location and extent of suitable habitat (mapping) Effective monitoring and management of threats.

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Effects on migratory shorebirds of loss or modification of habitat. Effects of global climate change on habitat. Effects of pollution on habitat. Impacts of human disturbance and how to address disturbance. Information on migration routes. Important staging areas. Carrying capacity within habtat. Seasonal/annual usage of habitat. Population changes. Questions If the plan includes the option to focus on key species, how should we decide which species, for the purpose of monitoring, the plan includes? Is there a need to develop and agree a consistent method for monitoring migratory shorebirds nationally, or are the current methods sufficient? There is a need to determine priorities for Australia. How do we do this – do we collate the information that has been collected to date and base decisions on the best information available or do we set a timeframe that provides for further monitoring and research on populations and conservation status? Should the AWSG database be referenced as the best available information on shorebird population estimates?

Is there a need to collect data and undertake research on migratory shorebirds in isolation of their habitats or do we focus on species and their habitats together?

Do the research topics identified above capture some of the more important habitat research priorities for the plan?

Can you suggest other important habitat research needs?

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Acknowledgements

The Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage would like to acknowledge and thank the following contributors to this Issues Paper: Wetlands International Birds Australia Australasian Wader Studies Group NSW Wader Study Group Qld Wader Study Group NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Marine Coastal and community Network Victorian Department of Sustainability Australian Government Department of Transport and Regional Services Department of Conservation and Land Management – Western Australia Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Parks Victoria Mackay Conservation Group World Wide Fund for Nature - Australia Mornington Peninsular Council Mallala Shire Council Yorke Regional Development Board Redcliffe Shire Council Hunter Bird Observers Club Victor McGrath – Member of the Indigenous Advisory Committee -Torres Strait Islands Northern Land Council Port of Brisbane Padaminka Nature Reserve The Wetlands Centre Ian May Friends of Forrestdale

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Glossary of Terms and Acronyms

AWSG Australasian Wader Studies Group CAMBA Agreement between the Government of Australia and the

Government of the People's Republic of China for the Protection of Migratory Birds and their Environment

CMS Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) EA-AF East Asian – Australasian Flyway EPBC Act Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 JAMBA Agreement between the Government of Australia and the

Government of Japan for the Protection of Migratory Birds in Danger of Extinction and their Environment

Migratory Species Undertake annual migrations of thousands of kilometers, generally flying from one hemisphere to another – crossing country boundaries.

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) Resident Species Remain in Australia year round (breeding and non-breeding

season), may travel moderate distances to find suitable habitat, but they do not follow seasonal migration patterns.

ROKAMBA Republic of Korea - Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (note

– this agreement is currently being developed and is expected to be signed off in late 2004)

Shorebirds From the taxonomic order Charadriiformes (includes stints, plovers, curlews, knots, snipes, godwits, avocets, stilts, oystercatchers, pratincoles and some other species)

Shorebird Site Network The primary tool for implementing the Action Plan for the

Conservation of Shorebirds in the EA- AF is the Shorebird Site Network which links internationally important shorebird sites and their managers across the flyway.

Vagrant Spp Occasional migrants to Australia – Australia is not necessarily

considered a Range state for these species.

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References Asia Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy: 2001 – 2005 prepared by the

Asia Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Committee. Available online at http://www.deh.gov.au/water/wetlands/mwp/2001-2005/pubs/strategy.pdf

Shorebird Working Group of Wetland International – Asia Pacific (2001), Action Plan for

the conservation of migratory shorebirds in the EA – AF: 2001 – 2005 Bamford, M., Watkins, D. et al. in prep. Status overview of shorebirds and internationally

important shorebird habitats in the EA-AF. Wetlands International – Oceania (draft available online at http://www.wetlands-oceania.org/) -

Watkins, D. 1993. A National Plan for Shorebird Conservation in Australia. Australasian

Wader Studies Group, Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union and World Wide Fund for Nature. RAOU Report No.90.

Priest, B., Straw, P. and Weston, M., Shorebird Conservation in Australia, Supplement to

Wingspan, Vol 12, No. 4, December 2002.

Rowe, M. (2002) Feathers, Flyways and Fastfood, (available online at http://www.wetlands.org.au/shorebirds/index.htm )

Donaldson, G., Hyslop, C., Morrison, G., Dickson, L., Davidson, I. (2000) Canadian

Shorebird Conservation Plan, Canadian Wildlife Services.

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Appendix A - Background Information

What we are currently doing about conserving Migratory Shorebirds in Australia Australia is the southern destination on the migration route for approximately 2 million of the 5 million shorebirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (Bamford et al in prep). Thirty-six of the fifty-four species of shorebirds in the flyway regularly visit Australia arriving each year in our spring and spending the summer on coastal beaches, mudflats and shallow inland lakes, before departing in the autumn on their migration up to 13,000km north through the countries of East Asia to breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra of the Russian Federation, Alaska and China (Watkins 1993). Domestic Measures - Conserving Migratory Shorebirds in Australia In order to meet our formal and informal obligations under the international arrangements and provide for conservation of migratory shorebirds in Australia, migratory shorebirds are afforded protection through Commonwealth, State/Territory and Local Government initiatives. Commonwealth Role The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), in force from 16 July 2000, enhances the management and protection of Australia's listed migratory species. The EPBC Act recognises migratory species, including migratory shorebirds as a matter of national environmental significance, along with Ramsar wetlands, nationally threatened species and ecological communities. A key innovation of the EPBC Act is that it provides for Commonwealth assessment and approval of actions that are likely to have a significant impact on a listed migratory species. More information on the EPBC Act and matters of national environmental significance can be accessed from the DEH website at www.deh.gov.au . The EPBC Act also provides for the development and implementation of wildlife conservation plans. As a statutory plan under the EPBC Act, the Commonwealth must take all reasonable steps to act in accordance with a wildlife conservation plan. Investing in Migratory Shorebird Conservation through the Natural Heritage Trust The Commonwealth Government has provided more than $2.5 million from the Natural Heritage Trust over the past eight years for migratory shorebird conservation. The goal of the Trust is to stimulate activities in the national interest to achieve the conservation, sustainable use and repair of Australia’s natural environment.

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Meeting Australia’s international obligations for migratory shorebirds is an objective of the Conservation of Migratory Waterbirds Project under the Rivercare Program of the Trust. Trust investment in shorebird conservation has focussed on: • Supporting Australia’s international efforts to promote shorebird conservation in

the flyway, including core funding for the Asia Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy and the Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway.

• Investing in activities under the JAMBA and CAMBA, including training and capacity building for shorebird site managers in China.

• Supporting and promoting the East Asian – Australasian Shorebird Site Network, including conducting training for site managers in Australia and production of posters in the languages of the flyway.

• Encouraging community participation in shorebird conservation in Australia, through grants to community groups to conserve habitats under the Shorebird Conservation Project coordinated by World Wide Fund for Nature – Australia.

• Collecting important information on shorebirds, including supporting the Australasian Wader Studies Group in counting shorebirds, which is collated and analysed on a national basis to identify important habitats, and developing and implementing a Colour Flagging Protocol which promotes coordinated shorebird migration research across the flyway (available on line at http://www.tasweb.com.au/awsg/protocol.htm).

• Communication and Education products including poster and brochures (available online at http://www.deh.gov.au/water/wetlands/publications/flyway.html), a curriculum package titled Feathers, Flyways and Fastfood: Notes for Schools (available online at http://www.wetlands.org.au/shorebirds/index.htm and A Year on the Wing, an online interactive documentary available at www.abc.net.au/wing.

State/Territory As well as the above Commonwealth measures, legislation in each of the States and Territories enables the jurisdictions to collectively provide a national scheme of environmental protection and biodiversity conservation. Many of Australia's listed migratory species are protected cooperatively by the Commonwealth Government and State governments, with relevant State agencies taking responsibility for on-ground management in accordance with State legislation relevant to migratory species. Each State and Territory in Australia has legislation that protects migratory shorebirds. Developing the Shorebird Site Network in Australia The Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments of Australia are working together to increase the number of sites in the East Asian – Australasian Shorebird Site Network. In the National Objectives and Targets for Biodiversity Conservation 2001-2005 (available online at http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/publications/objectives/index.html) the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments have agreed to increase the number of Australian sites in the Shorebird Site Network from the current 11 sites to 36 sites by 2005. Bamford and Watkins (in prep) have identified around 150 internationally important sites

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in Australia that could be nominated to the Site Network. Nominations are currently being prepared for 10 of these sites.

Nationally Important Wetlands

State and Territories may list wetlands as Nationally Important in a Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia. There are 851 wetlands identified as Nationally important wetlands. A database of these wetlands has been established and can be accessed from the following website: http://www.deh.gov.au/water/wetlands/database/index.html . The Directory identifies important wetlands. It also provides a substantial knowledge base of what defines wetlands, their variety and the dependence on them of many flora and fauna species.

A wetland may be considered nationally important if it meets one of a number of relevant criteria, including the following:

o The wetland supports 1% or more of the national populations of any native plant or animal taxa.

To determine exactly how many of these wetlands were listed for reasons including their importance specifically to migratory shorebirds would be very difficult to do without reviewing the nomination information for each site, however a quick search would indicate that at least 120 are important for shorebirds, although this may not necessarilly be migratory shorebirds.

Local Local Government has a key role to play in translating the policies of Commonwealth and State Governments into on-ground projects. All Local Governments in Australia, irrespective of their size or location, make a significant contribution to the management and protection of Australia’s natural resources through policy development and implementation of land use planning.

Local government use their position to:

• Regulate land use; • Utilise available powers to influence community behaviour through implementing

biodiversity friendly regulations and planning provisions. • Promote and demonstrate environmentally, ecologically and socially responsible

behaviour; • Offer community education programs and staff training; • Provide incentives for sustainable natural resource management on private land.

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International Measures - Conserving Migratory Shorebirds across the Flyway For nearly 30 years, Australia has played an important role in international cooperation to conserve migratory birds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (the Flyway). This work started with formal migratory bird bilateral agreements between the Australian Government and the Government of Japan and later the People’s Republic of China. Australia’s involvement has since grown to include regional cooperative action under the Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy and most recently a partnership initiative under the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Migratory Bird Bilateral Agreements Bilateral agreements provide a formal framework for cooperation between two countries on issues of mutual interest. Throughout the Asia Pacific region, there are currently 10 bilateral agreements relating to migratory birds. These are; Japan – Australia, China – Australia, Japan – China, Japan – Russia, India – Russia, Korea – Russia, Korea D.P.R. – Russia, USA – Russia, USA – China, and USA – Japan. Australia currently has two bilateral agreements relating to conservation of migratory birds, the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Japan for the Protection of Migratory Birds in Danger of Extinction and their Environment or JAMBA was made with Japan in 1974, while the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the People's Republic of China for the Protection of Migratory Birds and their Environment or CAMBA was made with the People's Republic of China in 1986. The two agreements list terrestrial, water and shorebird species which migrate between Australia and the respective countries. In both cases the majority of listed species are shorebirds. Both agreements require the parties to protect migratory birds from take or trade except under limited circumstances, protect and conserve habitats, exchange information, and build cooperative relationships. The JAMBA agreement also includes specific provisions for cooperation on conservation of threatened birds. Australian government officials and non-government representatives meet every two years with their Japanese and Chinese counterparts to review progress in implementing the agreements and to explore new initiatives to conserve migratory birds. In April 2002, Australia and the Republic of Korea agreed to develop a bilateral migratory bird agreement similar to the JAMBA and CAMBA. The proposed agreement will formalise Australia’s relationship with Republic of Korea in respect to migratory bird conservation and will provide a basis to collaborate in the protection of migratory shorebirds and their habitat. JAMBA, CAMBA and the other bilateral agreements across the flyway have provided a mechanism for pursuing conservation outcomes for migratory birds, including migratory shorebirds. The bilateral nature of agreements does, however, limit their scope and ability to influence conservation on a flyway scale. Australia has, therefore also sought to encourage multilateral cooperation on migratory bird conservation.

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Convention on Migratory Species The Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, commonly known as the CMS, is a global multilateral convention which aims to conserve migratory (avian, marine and terrestrial) species over the whole of their range. The Convention provides a framework within which Parties may act to conserve migratory species and their habitats by:

1. Adopting strict protection measures for migratory species that have been categorized as being in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant proportion of their range (listed in Appendix I of the Convention);

2. Concluding agreements and arrangements for the conservation and management

of migratory species that have an unfavourable conservation status or would benefit significantly from international co-operation (listed in Appendix II to the Convention); and

3. Undertaking joint research and monitoring activities (CMS 2002).

Convention on Wetlands Australia was one of the first 18 countries to become a signatory to the Convention on Wetlands in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 (http://www.ramsar.org). The Ramsar Convention, as it is commonly known, is an intergovernmental treaty dedicated to the conservation and “wise use” of wetlands. The Ramsar Convention focuses on conservation of important habitats rather than species. Parties are committed to identifying wetlands that qualify as internationally significant against a set of criteria, to nominating these wetlands to the List of Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar List) and to ensure the maintenance of the ecological character of each listed Ramsar site. Among the criteria used to determine international significance are two which relate to waterbirds:

Criterion 5: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.

Criterion 6: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it

regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird.

Much has already been done to identify important habitats for Migratory Shorebirds in Australia, including: ! Australia currently has 64 Wetlands of International Importance that cover a total

of approximately 7.3 million hectares. At least 29 of these sites (approx 4.7 Million hectares) were listed for reasons including the specific criteria based on waterbirds. Ramsar applies the following criteria for including sites that are important to shorebirds:

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o Sites that regularly support 1% or more of the individuals in a population of one species or sub-species of shorebirds, or

o Sites that regularly support 20,000 or more shorebirds.

Asia Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy In 1994, the Japanese and Australian governments organised an international workshop on the “Conservation of Migratory Waterbirds And Their Wetland Habitats in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway” under the auspices of the JAMBA. The workshop recognised that an international migratory waterbird conservation strategy was needed for the region. The workshop called for a strategy to be prepared that identified the major issues, outlined the range of priorities for action, and set out a time table for implementation and evaluation (Anon 1996). The result was the Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy 1996-2000. which was produced by Wetlands International and the International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau-Japan Committee (Anon 1996). The development and subsequent implementation of the Strategy, and its second iteration for the 2001-2005 period has received strong support from the Ministry of Environment, Japan, and the Australian Government through the Natural Heritage Trust. The Strategy for 2001-2005 outlines the following key elements to promote the conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats:

1. Action plans for species-groups and globally threatened species. 2. Effectively managed networks of sites that are internationally important for

migratory waterbirds. 3. Raised awareness of waterbirds and their link to wetland values and functions

throughout the region and at all levels. 4. Increased capacity of government agencies and non-government organisations to

implement conservation actions for migratory waterbirds. 5. An enhanced knowledge base and increased information exchange for the sound

management of migratory waterbirds and their habitats. 6. Harmonised national and state policies and legislation as a foundation for the

conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats. 7. Enhanced organisational relationships at all levels to increase cooperation and

deliver greater conservation benefits. 8. Adequate planning and resources to implement the Strategy (Asia-Pacific Migratory

Waterbird Conservation Committee 2001). The Strategy has been very successful in promoting international cooperation and increasing awareness of the need to work together to promote migratory shorebird conservation. A number of international and national activities have been undertaken, primarily through the implementation of regional migratory waterbird conservation action plans for shorebirds, cranes and Anatidae (ducks, geese and swans), and the establishment

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of three networks of sites of international importance for these species groups (Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Committee 2001). Of the three action plans, the Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway is of most interest to and strongly supported by Australia, as a large proportion of shorebird populations in the Asia Pacific region visit Australia during their non-breeding season. The cranes and Anatidae covered by the other Action Plans do not regularly migrate to Australia. Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway and the East Asian – Australasian Shorebird Site Network The action plan was developed to guide a regional program of key actions to conserve migratory shorebirds. The primary tool for implementing the action plan is the East Asian – Australasian Shorebird Site Network which links internationally important shorebird sites and their managers across the flyway to provide a framework for improved management and increased public awareness and education activities. The action plan also recognises the importance of a strong scientific base to guide decision making. The Shorebird Site Network operates as a cooperative environmental program, involving site management bodies and local communities, working for the conservation of wetlands of international importance for migratory shorebirds (Wetlands International 2003). The site network is supported by a Shorebird Flyway Officer working with Wetlands International and funded by the Commonwealth Government through its Natural Heritage Trust initiative. The site network includes sites which regularly support >20,000 migratory shorebirds; or, regularly support > 1 % of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of migratory shorebird; or, support appreciable numbers of an endangered or vulnerable population of migratory shorebird. Site managers in the flyway develop new site proposals for addition to the Network and obtain endorsement from their governments. As at May 2004, 33 sites had been nominated to the Network by 11 countries. Australia currently has 11 sites. Wetlands International is currently preparing a report which estimates the populations of shorebirds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and, using the Shorebird Site Network criteria, identify the internationally important sites of the flyway (Bamford and Watkins, in prep). For the network to be successful, it needs to include as many countries as possible and at least 25% of internationally important sites across the flyway. At present the network includes approximately 10% of internationally important sites. Australia is seeking to increase the profile of the network to ensure that this target is reached. Building the Network: the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Sites of International Importance to Migratory Birds in East-Asia, South East Asia and Australasia partnership At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2002, Australia, Japan and Wetlands International co-sponsored a partnership initiative titled Conservation and Sustainable Use of Sites of International Importance to

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Migratory Birds in East-Asia, South East Asia and Australasia. The partnership provides a cooperative framework for conservation of migratory waterbirds and their inland and coastal habitats across the region. The partnership is guided by the Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy and associated Action Plans for conservation of Anatidae, cranes and shorebirds. The text of the partnership is available online at http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/html/sustainable_dev/p2_managing_resources/2008_conservation_migratory_birds.pdf. The partnership focuses on implementing the network of sites concept and provides a mechanism for governments of the flyway to formally engage in network activities that does not exist under the informal arrangements of the Strategy. For this reason Australia views the partnership as a useful mechanism for expansion of the site network across the flyway. Australia and Japan hosted a workshop of officials from governments across the flyway in Tokyo in November 2003 to further develop the partnership.

! A key element of the Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway: 2001-2005 is the ongoing development of the Shorebird Site Network. Currently there are 11 sites in Australia included in the network. They are located at :

Parry Lagoons – WA Thomson Lake – WA Moreton Bay – Qld Kooragang Nature Reserve – NSW Corner Inlet – VIC Western Port – VIC Port Phillip Bay – VIC The Coorong – SA Orieleton Lagoon – TAS Logan Lagoon – TAS Kakadu National Park - NT

Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments have agreed to a target of 36 being listed by December 2005. (National Objectives and Targets for Biodiversity Conservation 2001-2005)

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Appendix B - Migratory shorebirds in Australia

Scientific Name Common

Name Breeding

Area Habitat preference in

Australia Characteristics Estimated

Flyway Population

Estimated Australian Population

Importance of Australia to population

EPBC status

Gallinago hardwickii

Latham's Snipe Japan Inland and Coastal PlainsSoft moist ground or shallow flooded areas

Birds tend not to gather in large flocks Singularly or in small loose groups

36,000 15,000 Lack of existing data - no sites have been identified as internationally important as the birds tend not to travel in large flocks and are highly mobile - this does not mean Australiaralia is not important to the flyway population

Listed under the migratory species list

Gallinago stenura Pin-tailed Snipe Arctic Tundra Freshwater wetlands on coastal plains - from dense grasslands to sparsely vegetated mudflats

Vagrant species. Mainly seen in NW WA Birds migrate in small flocks of 5 - 10

Listed under the migratory species list

Gallinago megala Swinhoe's Snipe Central Siberia, Mongolia

Dense grasslands around edges of fresh and brackish water – shallow freshwater swamps and near coastal freshwater wetlands

birds tend to gather in small loose groups <25 but occasionally in favourable habitat <200

25,000 –100,000

Poorly counted species as the habitat it favours are not well surveyed

Listed under the migratory species list

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Scientific Name Common Name

Breeding Area

Habitat preference in Australia

Characteristics Estimated Flyway

Population

Estimated Australian Population

Importance of Australia to population

EPBC status

Limosa limosa Black-tailed Godwit

Eastern Siberia, Mongolia

Mainly coastal, usually sheltered bays, estuaries and lagoons with large intertidal mudflats or sandflats.

Gregarious, small to large groups, numbering hundreds at favourable roosting sites

162,000 81,000 11 sites of international importance identified

Listed under the migratory species list

Limosa lapponica Bar-tailed Godwit

Northern Siberia, Russia, Scandinavia

mainly coastal, usually sheltered bays, estuaries and lagoons with large intertidal mudflats or sandflats.

Gregarious, small to large groups, numbering up to 1000s at favourable roosting sites

330,000 165,000 Listed under the migratory species list

Numenius minutus Little Curlew Central Siberia, coastal plains, grasslands forage in dispersed flocks, congregate to roost

180,000 7 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Numenius phaeopus

Whimbrel Siberia, Alaska Coastal mudflats and mangroves

forage singularly or small groups, congregate in large flocks to roost

40,000 10,000 9 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Numenius madagascariensis

Eastern Curlew Russia, NE China

coastal mudflats, sandy spits

forage singularly or small groups, congregate in large flocks to roost

38,000 29,000 Listed under the migratory species list

Tringa totanus Common Redshank

Western Europe

Not know to visit Australia

65,000 Listed under the migratory species list

Tringa stagnatilis Marsh Sandpiper Eastern Europe to Eastern Siberia

coastal - Permanent or ephemeral wetlands of varying degrees of salinity

occur singularly or in small to large groups

100,000 – 1,000,000

9,000 4 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

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Scientific Name Common Name

Breeding Area

Habitat preference in Australia

Characteristics Estimated Flyway

Population

Estimated Australian Population

Importance of Australia to population

EPBC status

Tringa nebularia Common Greenshank

Siberia, wide variety of inland and sheltered coastal wetlands - mudflats, saltmarshes, mangroves

occur singularly or in small to large groups

55,000 20,000 10 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Tringa glareola Wood Sandpiper Mongolia, N China, Siberia

freshwater Wetlands singularly, pairs or small flocks, occasionally larger flocks of 100s - associate freely with other waders

100,000 6,000 Listed under the migratory species list

Xenus cinereus Terek Sandpiper Russia, eastern Europe

coastal - mainly saline intertidal mudflats, lagoons, sandbanks

singularly, pairs or small flocks, roost in small groups with other waders

50,000 25,000 11 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper

Western Europe, Eastern Russia

wide variety of inland and coastal wetlands -varying levels of salinity - muddy margins or rocky shores

singularly or in small groups

30,000 4,500 2 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Heteroscelus brevipes

Grey-tailed Tattler

Siberia sheltered coasts with reef or rock platforms or intertidal mudflats

usually in small flocks and roost in large numbers with other waders

40,000 40,000 14 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Heteroscelus incanus

Wandering Tattler

Siberia, NW Canada

rocky coasts - not commonly seen in Australia

solitary or in small groups, will roost communally, often with grey tailed tattlers

Listed under the migratory species list

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Scientific Name Common Name

Breeding Area

Habitat preference in Australia

Characteristics Estimated Flyway

Population

Estimated Australian Population

Importance of Australia to population

EPBC status

Arenaria interpres Ruddy Turnstone Northern Siberia, Alaska

wide variety of habitats - generally mudflats or rocky coastline - occasionally inland waters

usually in loose flocks of 20 - 100

31,000 17,000 13 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Limnodromus semipalmatus

Asian Dowitcher Siberia, N China Russia, Mongolia

sheltered coastal wetlands, mudflats, sandflats, estuaries

gregarious, usually in pairs of small groups - occasionally in groups >100 at favourable feeding and roosting sites

23,000 530 1 site of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Calidris tenuirostris

Great Knot N Siberia coastal habitats, intertidal mudflats and sandflats

gregarious, in small to large flocks often in hundreds or thousands at favoured sites

380,000 360,000 9 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Calidris canutus Red Knot Nth Siberia, Alaska

intertidal mudflats, sandflats, sandy beaches of sheltered coasts

highly gregarious, small to large flocks, in thousands at favoured sites

220,000 135,000 8 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Calidris alba Sanderling High arctic regions - Alaska, Greenland, Russia

mostly open sandy beaches

gregarious, small to large flocks - in hundreds at favoured sites

22,000 9,500 11 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

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Scientific Name Common Name

Breeding Area

Habitat preference in Australia

Characteristics Estimated Flyway

Population

Estimated Australian Population

Importance of Australia to population

EPBC status

Calidris ruficollis Red-necked Stint N Siberia, Alaska

mostly coastal sheltered inlets and estuaries with intertidal mudflats - ocassionally on ocean beaches

gregarious, often in dense flocks of hundres to thousands

315,000 245,000 32 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Calidris subminuta Long-toed Stint Central to Eastern Russia

terrestrial wetlands, shallow freshwater or brackish wetlands with muddy shoreline

usually singly or in pairs, sometimes in larger flocks at favoured sites

25,000 Listed under the migratory species list

Calidris bairdii Baird's Sandpiper Arctic Tundra dry terrestrial habitats and grassy margins of receding wetlands - vagrant species in Australia

vagrant species - only seen singly in Australia

Listed under the migratory species list

Calidris melanotos Pectoral Sandpiper

N Russia, N America

shallow fresh to saline wetlands usually coastal regions

vagrant species -usually solitary or in pairs

Listed under the migratory species list

Calidris acuminata Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

NE Siberia muddy edges of shallow fresh or brackish water

gregarious, small groups to large dense flocks (100s -1000s)

160,000 140,000 38 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Calidris alpina Dunlin Eurasia and N America

sheltered coasts with large mudflats

vagrant species - only solitary vagrants seen in Australia

Listed under the migratory species list

Calidris ferruginea Curlew Sandpiper

Arctic Tundra intertidal mudflats of sheltered coastal areas - occasionally inland wetlands

gregarious, often in large flocks

180,000 155,000 17 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

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Scientific Name Common Name

Breeding Area

Habitat preference in Australia

Characteristics Estimated Flyway

Population

Estimated Australian Population

Importance of Australia to population

EPBC status

Tryngites subruficollis

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Alaska, Russia short dry open grasslands occasionally swamps and mudflats

vagrant species in Australia - single sightings only

Listed under the migratory species list

Limicola falcinellus Broad-billed Sandpiper

Scandinavia, Russia

sheltered coastal wetlands, mudflats, estuaries

usually seen singly or in loose groups, occasionally in large groups at favoured sites

25,000 8,000 1 site of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Philomachus pugnax

Ruff N Europe usually terrestrial wetlands with exposed mudflats at edges

rare, but regular visitor, mainly seen singly, pairs or small groups, associate with other small waders

Listed under the migratory species list

Phalaropus lobatus Red-necked Phalarope

Arctic usually pelagic, occasionally coastal wetlands

vagrant, gregarious, mainly in tropical seas

100,000 –1,000,000

Listed under the migratory species list

Phalaropus fulicaria

Grey Phalarope Palaearctic regions

usually pelagic, occasionally coastal wetlands

vagrant, singly or small flocks

Listed under the migratory species list

Rostratula benghalensis

Painted Snipe not considered the same species as the one that occurs in Asia

thick to open grasslands resident species Listed under the migratory species list

Pluvialis fulva Pacific Golden Plover

N Siberia, Alaska

mainly coastal, beaches, mudflats and sandflats

usually small to large loose groups

100,000 7,300 1 site of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

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Scientific Name Common Name

Breeding Area

Habitat preference in Australia

Characteristics Estimated Flyway

Population

Estimated Australian Population

Importance of Australia to population

EPBC status

Pluvialis squatarola

Grey Plover N Siberia coastal, intertidal mudflats, sandflats, sandy beaches, rocky coastline

usually solitary or small groups, roost in large groups often with other waders

125,000 12,000 5 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Charadrius hiaticula

Ringed Plover Greenland Iceland

usually coastal, estuaries with sandy beaches

vagrant -usually solitary sightings

Listed under the migratory species list

Charadrius dubius Little Ringed Plover

N Africa, Europe

shallow inland terrestrial wetlands, freshwater to saline

vagrant - usually single sightings

25,000 Listed under the migratory species list

Charadrius bicinctus

Double-banded Plover

New Zealand littoral, estuarine and fresh or saline terrestrial wetlands, grasslands and pasture

gregarious, small loose groups and roost in large flocks rarely with other waders

50,000 30,000 9 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Charadrius mongolus

Lesser Sand Plover

Central and NE Asia

usually coastal, estuaries and littoral environments - sandflats and mudflats,

gregarious, small to large flocks - in hundreds at favoured sites

130,000 24,000 7 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Charadrius leschenaultii

Greater Sand Plover

Siberia coastal wetlands, intertidal mudflats or sandflats, sandy beaches

gregarious, often forming flocks with lesser sand plover

100,000 74,000 9 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Charadrius asiaticus

Caspian Plover Eurasia Vagrant, single specimens only

Listed under the migratory species list

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Scientific Name Common Name

Breeding Area

Habitat preference in Australia

Characteristics Estimated Flyway

Population

Estimated Australian Population

Importance of Australia to population

EPBC status

Charadrius veredus Oriental Plover Mongolia E China

inland - grasslands, roost on beaches or muddy margins of terrestrial wetlands

gregarious, small to large flocks

70,000 70,000 6 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

Glareola maldivarum

Oriental Pratincole

China Mongolia

open country often near water, grassy flats and mudflats

gregarious in small to large flocks (often thousands)

2,880,000 2,880,000 10 sites of international importance

Listed under the migratory species list

The species below are not recorded in high enough numbers for Australiaralia to be considered a range state. Therefore they are not listed under the EPBC Act.

Charadrius alexandrinus

Kentish Plover Africa Europe sheltered coastline Vagrant (questionable)– single specimen reported

Not listed

Pluvialis dominica American Golden Plover

Arctic tundra Vagrant species – records of sightings in Australia sketchy (could be Pacific Golden Plover

Not listed

Tringa ochropus Green Sandpiper

N Eurasia terrestrial freshwater wetlands

Vagrant species- records sketchy

Not listed

Limosa haemastica Hudsonian Godwit

Alaska, Canada coastal lagoons, shallow freshwater lakes

Vagrant species, singularly in Australia

Not listed

Tringa flavipes Lesser Yellowlegs

Alaska, Canada large range of inland and coastal wetlands

Vagrant species – singularly recorded in Australia

Not listed

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Scientific Name Common Name

Breeding Area

Habitat preference in Australia

Characteristics Estimated Flyway

Population

Estimated Australian Population

Importance of Australia to population

EPBC status

Calidris minuta Little Stint Scandinavia, Russia

coastal or near coastal wetlands, Mudflats, sandflats

Vagrant species – recorded singularly with other small wader (particularly red-necked stints)

Not listed

Hydrophasianus chirurgus

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Indian ubcontinent

lowland freshwater wetlands

Vagrant species, singles only recorded

Not listed

Limnodromus griseus

Short-billed Dowitcher

Not recorded in Australia

Not listed

Haematopus finschi South Island Pied Oystercatcher

NZ Not recorded in Australia

Not listed

Tringa erythropus Spotted Redshank

Scandinavia, Russia

wetlands with sheltered littoral habitats

Vagrant Not listed

Calidris himantopus

Stilt Sandpiper N Alaska shallow wetlands, marshes, estuaries

Vagrant - recorded singularly in Australia

Not listed

Bartramia longicauda

Upland Sandpiper

Alaska, Canada semi-marine flats round shell banks in harbour

Vagrant –single specimen only

Not listed

Calidris fuscicollis White-rumped Sandpiper

Arctic Canada coastal lagoons, shallow lakes and muddy pools

Vagrant – recorded singularly only

Not listed

Phalaropus tricolor

Wilson’s Phalarope

Canada mainly terrestrial wetlands – brackish to freshwater swamps

Vagrant – recorded singularly

Not listed