76 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Grey-tailed Tattler Heteroscelus brevipes Population The Grey-tailed Tattler is confined to the EAA Flyway and no subspecies are recognised. The very similar Wandering Tattler Heteroscelus incanus breeds in North America and migrates across the Pacific Ocean to islands east of Aus- tralasia. It is a vagrant in the EAA Flyway. Data The Flyway population estimate is greater than that proposed by Delany and Scott (2002) be- cause of recent large counts in northern Aus- tralia during the non-breeding period. Chatto (2003) estimated 16 000 Grey-tailed Tattlers in the Northern Territory (Australia) during south- ward migration. Over 90% of the population is in Australia during the non-breeding period. Important Sites The majority of important sites in the non- breeding period were in Australia (8), with one in the Philippines. Many sites in Australia were also identified on the basis of migration period counts, with some recognised only in these periods. Outside Australia, 51 sites important during migration were identified, with the major- ity (33) in Japan. Many of the sites in Japan were important during both migration periods, with 25 recognised during northward migration and 20 recognised during southward migration. Only 5 internationally important sites have been identified in South Korea and China. Migration Both northward and southward migration appear to be concentrated through Japan. Grey-tailed Tattlers appear to be uncommon on the east coast of China, but they have been reported from Mongolia and central China (Higgins and Davies 1996). The scarcity of important sites south of Japan suggests that the birds may undertake non-stop flights between this region and Australia, possi- bly via the Philippines in some cases. In support of this, Higgins and Davies (1996) report the species to be a rare passage migrant in much of south-eastern Asia during the southward migra- tion period. During northward migration, there are temporary influxes of birds in northern Australia and it has been estimated that some birds are capable of flying non-stop from north-western Australia to the Philippines (Haward and Barter 1991) or southern China (Lane and Jessop 1985). M. Barter (pers. comm.) has reported large numbers at Xuan Thuy (Vietnam) on northward migration. Some northward migration is reported to occur through Hong Kong (Lane 1986). Flyway Estimate: 50 000 1% threshold: 500 Staging threshold: 125 Global Delany and Scott (2002): 40 000 Figure 4.30 Grey-tailed Tattler – non-breeding distribution Figure 4.31b (enlargement) Grey-tailed Tattler – sites of international importance in southern Japan. Num- bers refer to the respective site in Table 4.22.
Transcript
76 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 77 76 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Grey-tailed TattlerHeteroscelus brevipes
Population
The Grey-tailed Tattler is confined to the EAA Flyway and no subspecies are recognised. The very similar Wandering Tattler Heteroscelus incanus breeds in North America and migrates across the Pacific Ocean to islands east of Aus-tralasia. It is a vagrant in the EAA Flyway.
Data
The Flyway population estimate is greater than that proposed by Delany and Scott (2002) be-cause of recent large counts in northern Aus-tralia during the non-breeding period. Chatto (2003) estimated 16 000 Grey-tailed Tattlers in the Northern Territory (Australia) during south-ward migration. Over 90% of the population is in Australia during the non-breeding period.
Important Sites
The majority of important sites in the non-breeding period were in Australia (8), with one in the Philippines. Many sites in Australia were also identified on the basis of migration period counts, with some recognised only in these periods. Outside Australia, 51 sites important during migration were identified, with the major-ity (33) in Japan. Many of the sites in Japan were important during both migration periods, with 25 recognised during northward migration and 20 recognised during southward migration. Only 5 internationally important sites have been identified in South Korea and China.
Migration
Both northward and southward migration appear to be concentrated through Japan. Grey-tailed Tattlers appear to be uncommon on the east coast of China, but they have been reported from Mongolia and central China (Higgins and Davies 1996).
The scarcity of important sites south of Japan suggests that the birds may undertake non-stop flights between this region and Australia, possi-bly via the Philippines in some cases. In support of this, Higgins and Davies (1996) report the species to be a rare passage migrant in much of south-eastern Asia during the southward migra-
tion period.
During northward migration, there are temporary influxes of birds in northern Australia and it has been estimated that some birds are capable of flying non-stop from north-western Australia to the Philippines (Haward and Barter 1991) or southern China (Lane and Jessop 1985).
M. Barter (pers. comm.) has reported large numbers at Xuan Thuy (Vietnam) on northward migration. Some northward migration is reported to occur through Hong Kong (Lane 1986).
Flyway Estimate: 50 000 1% threshold: 500 Staging threshold: 125Global Delany and Scott (2002): 40 000
Figure 4.30 Grey-tailed Tattler – non-breeding distribution
Figure 4.31b (enlargement) Grey-tailed Tattler – sites of international importance in southern Japan. Num-bers refer to the respective site in Table 4.22.
76 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 77 76 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Table 4.22 Grey-tailed Tattler - sites of international importanceSite
Code Site Country Max Count Date SM NB NM B Ref.
38 Eighty Mile Beach AUS 12,420 12/11/2002 . . 147
46 Great Sandy Strait AUS 7,680 1/01/1993 . . . 50
84 Moreton Bay AUS 3,736 1/12/1989 . 48,49,49
102 Roebuck Bay AUS 3,185 16/04/1985 100,55,11
110 Shoalwater Bay and Broad Sound AUS 3,014 1/12/1995 . . . 52
78 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 79 78 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
266 Sanbanze, Tokyo Bay JAP 137 15/09/1997 . . . 93
226 Izumi Kantaku JAP 131 10/05/1992 . . . 54
204 Anou-gawa Kakou, Shitomo-gawa Kakou
JAP 126 1/05/2000 . . . 179
284 Umeda-gawa Kakou JAP 125 8/08/1996 . . . 54
222 Ikawazu JAP 125 1/05/2000 . . . 179
Table 4.22 (cont.) Grey-tailed Tattler - sites of international importance
Figure 4.31a Grey-tailed Tattler – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.22.
78 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 79 78 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres
were identified in the Philippines during south-ward migration, although southward migration through this area has been reported (Higgins and Davies 1996).
On northward migration from Australia, Ruddy Turnstone may overfly northern Australian sites (Higgins and Davies 1996). Greater abundance of Ruddy Turnstones in Japan on northward than southward migration has been previously report-ed (Higgins and Davies 1996) and may, in part, be due to Ruddy Turnstone from the Central Pacific Flyway mixing with the EAA Flyway birds.
Population
Ruddy Turnstones in the EAA Flyway are largely A. i. interpres, which also occurs in western Eu-rope, Africa and central Asia. A second subspe-cies, A. i. morinella, is present in the Americas. Therefore in the non-breeding period the Ruddy Turnstone can be found on coasts of all conti-nents except Antarctica. The Ruddy Turnstone of the EAA Flyway and the Central Pacific Flyway are considered to overlap - especially on north-ward migration.
Data
Recent large counts of Ruddy Turnstone in northern Australia support a larger population estimate than Watkins (1993) and the minimum of the range proposed by Delany and Scott (2002). During the non-breeding period, approx-imately 73% of the population in the EAA Flyway occurs in Australia and New Zealand.
Important Sites
In the non-breeding period, important sites were mostly in Australia (11) and New Zealand (7), with smaller numbers in eastern China (2).
During migration periods, over half the important sites identified for the Ruddy Turnstone were in Japan, with more sites in Japan recognised dur-ing northward (26) than southward (12) migra-tion. Three Russian sites were identified during northward migration. The Ruddy Turnstone is widely but thinly dispersed in the Yellow Sea during both migration periods (M. Barter pers. comm.).
Migration
Information on important sites indicates south-ward migration through Japan and South Korea, low usage of south-eastern Asia and arrival in Australia concentrated in the north-west (Eighty Mile Beach, Roebuck Bay, Barrow Island, Ash-more Reef and Lacepede Islands). No sites
Figure 4.32 Ruddy Turnstone – non-breeding distribution
Flyway Estimate: 35 000 1% threshold: 350 Staging threshold: 88Global Delany and Scott (2002): 475 000 – 713 000
80 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 81 80 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.33 Ruddy Turnstone – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.23.
80 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 81 80 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Table 4.23 Ruddy Turnstone - sites of international importance
Site Code Site Country Max
Count Date SM NB NM B Ref.
401 Pribilof Islands USA 10,000 NA . . . 70
38 Eighty Mile Beach AUS 3,480 17/10/1998 . . 10,99
82 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 83 82 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Table 4.23 (cont.) Ruddy Turnstone - sites of international importanceSite
82 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 83 82 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Population
The Asian Dowitcher is restricted to the EAA Flyway and no subspecies are recognised. It breeds in several small, scattered areas in central Asia, from the steppe zone of Western Siberia to northeastern China (Mauersberg et al. 1982), and is considered to spend the non-breeding period in parts of south-eastern Asia. It is a poorly known species and is listed as Near Threatened (Birdlife International 2001).
Data
The population estimate is based upon large numbers reported from Indonesia, including a single count of 13 000 birds made during south-ward migration. Over 80% of the population occurs in Indonesia during the non-breeding period (Table 4.24). The population estimate for the Asian Dowitcher has increased as more data have become available.
Important Sites
More important sites were recognised during migration periods than during the non-breeding period, possibly due to poor coverage in Indo-nesia during the latter period. The count made in Roebuck Bay (Australia) during northward mi-gration was of birds roosting in mangrove creeks and only a small portion of this extensive habitat was surveyed. It is therefore not known if more birds were present, but it was the highest count of Asian Dowitchers ever made in Australia and was possibly a pre-migratory aggregation. Other sites identified during migration periods were in Russia, China, Thailand, Malaysia and Indone-sia.
Migration
The distribution of important sites indicates that southward migration occurs through the Daursky Nature Reserve (Russia), eastern China and several countries in south-eastern Asia, with the Indonesian island of Sumatra of particular importance. Within Sumatra, Banyuasin Delta is of great significance in this period. In the non-breeding period, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thai-land remain important. Silvius (1986) considered that the main non-breeding area for the species
Asian DowitcherLimnodromus semipalmatus
was the south coast of Sumatra. The single high count from Australia during northward migration suggests that northern Australia may support more birds during the non-breeding period than indicated by existing count data.
Northward migration appears to follow a similar route as southward migration.
Flyway Estimate: 23 000 1% threshold: 230 Staging threshold: 57Global Delany and Scott (2002): 23 000
Figure 4.34 Asian Dowitcher – non-breeding distribution
Table 4.24 Distribution of the Asian Dowitcher in the non-breeding period
Country EstimateIndonesia 20 000 Thailand 600 Australia 500 China 500 Malaysia 500 Papua New Guinea 500 Philippines 300 India 150 other countries 230TOTALS: 23 280
84 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 85 84 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Table 4.25 Asian Dowitcher - sites of international importance
Figure 4.35 Asian Dowitcher – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.25. Breeding range according to Melnikov (1998).
84 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 85 84 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Great KnotCalidris tenuirostris
Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia (Higgins and Davies 1996).
The distribution of important sites indicates that there are differences between southward and northward migration. In particular, Great Knots use sites in eastern Russia more during south-ward than northward migration, but the reverse is true of the Yellow Sea of South Korea and north-eastern China (Won 1991, Barter 2002). An estimated 80% of the population passes through the Yellow Sea on northward migration, but much lower numbers on southward migration (Barter 2002). In addition, higher counts have been reported during southward than northward migration at Mai Po Marshes (China, Chalm-ers 1986), where numbers increased during the early 1980s.
On southward migration, the birds are able to forage in eastern Russia as the first and possibly
Population
The monotypic Great Knot is restricted to the EAA Flyway. It was considered to be a rare species until the early 1980s when it was found to be abundant in northern Australia during the non-breeding period. It breeds in eastern Russia north of the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Data
The Flyway population estimate is the same as the previous estimate of Delany and Scott (2002). Australia supports about 95% of the population in the non-breeding period (Table 4.26).
Important Sites
All important sites identified during the non-breeding period were in northern Australia. During migration periods, important sites were located in Russia, South Korea, China and Australia, and the distribution of important sites differed between northward and southward migration periods. In the Yellow Sea area (South Korea and China), 15 sites were identi-fied during northward migration compared with 9 during southward migration. The concentra-tion of important sites in the Yellow Sea of China and South Korea makes it likely that additional important sites exist in North Korea.
In contrast to the records around the Yellow Sea, all three of the sites listed for eastern Russia were important during southward migration, with only one of these, the Moroshechnaya River Estuary, also being important, but with a smaller count, during northward migration. The counts made on the Moroshechnaya River Estuary are estimates of the number of birds that utilise the site over an extended period of time.
Migration
The Great Knot is believed to be able to fly non-stop between the Yellow Sea and northern Australia (Barter and Wang 1990), and the distri-bution of important sites supports this, with none between eastern China and northern Australia. Despite this, the species is known to occur regu-larly in small numbers on migration in Japan, the Figure 4.36 Great Knot – non-breeding distribution
Flyway Estimate: 380 000 1% threshold: 3 800 Staging threshold: 950Global Delany and Scott (2002): 382 000 – 385 000
Table 4.26 Distribution of the Great Knot in the non-breeding period
Country EstimateAustralia 360 000 China 10 000 Papua New Guinea 3 000 Philippines 2 500 Indonesia 2 000 other countries 1 610TOTALS: 379 110
86 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 87 86 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.37 Great Knot – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.27. Breeding range according to Tomkovich (1997).
only stop-over en route to northern Australia.
On northward migration the birds have come from northern Australia and, having completed a flight of over 5 000 km, need to spend a long time foraging in the Yellow Sea before proceed-ing north. At this time the coastline of eastern Russia may still be ice-bound. The birds fly di-rect from the Yellow Sea to the breeding grounds and arrive earlier than many other shorebirds (late May). At this time foraging may be difficult because of snow and ice and the birds require food reserves (stored as body fat) until they are able to feed.
The increase in numbers of Great Knot on southward migration through the Mai Po Marsh-es (China) in the mid-1980s (Chalmers 1986) could have a number of causes, but the Great Knot’s reliance on a small number of sites dur-ing migration makes it particularly vulnerable to degradation or loss of those sites. An increase in numbers of Great Knot at intermediate sites is likely to occur if the birds are not able to effec-tively use their primary staging sites.
86 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 87 86 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Table 4.27 Great Knot - sites of international importance
379 Yong Jong Island SKO 6,000 1/09/1998 . . 180,117
148 Chongming Dongtan N. N. Reserve CHI 5,761 31/03/1996 . . . 27
109 Shoal Bay: Tree Pt to Lee Pt AUS 5,500 7/11/1982 . . . 8
14 Boucat Bay AUS 5,500 25/03/1999 . . . 40
336 Khairyuzova Bay RUS 4,500 23/07/1983 . . . 109
25 Castlereagh Bay AUS 4,500 31/03/1999 . . . 40
110 Shoalwater Bay and Broad Sound AUS 4,200 NA . . . 99
82 Mackay Town Beach AUS 4,000 NA . . . 99
179 Shi Jiu Tuo/Daqing He CHI 4,000 13/05/1994 . . . 18
175 North-west Bo Hai Wan CHI 3,610 12/04/2000 . . . 20
366 Kanghwa Island SKO 3,300 1/05/1998 . . 180,116
191 Yancheng National Nature Reserve CHI 2,206 1/09/1997 . . . 162
154 Dongsha Islands CHI 2,206 1/09/1997 . . . 162
349 Schastiya Bay RUS 1,374 1/09/2002 . . . 4
371 Nakdong Estuary SKO 1,240 1/09/1983 . . . 141
88 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 89 88 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Red KnotCalidris canutus
Population
The Red Knot has a scattered breeding dis-tribution in the Arctic and six subspecies are recognised: C. c. canutus (central Siberia), C. c. rogersi (eastern Siberia), C. c. piersmai (New Siberian Islands), C. c. roselaari (north-western Alaska), C. c. rufa (Canadian Arctic) and C. c. islandica (Greenland and Canadian high Arctic). C. c. piersmai has only recently been recognised (Tomkovich 2001) and occurs with C. c. rogersi in the EAA Flyway, although some C. c. canu-tus may be present. C. c. piersmai may be the subspecies most commonly encountered in New Zealand and eastern Australia.
Data
The proposed Flyway population estimate combines the two subspecies and is the same as that offered by Delany and Scott (2002), but is less than the 255 000 of Watkins (1993). It is believed that the higher estimate was due to the inclusion of passage birds in some counts (P. Dr-iscoll, pers. comm.). Australia and New Zealand support 93% of Red Knots in the EAA Flyway during the non-breeding period (Table 4.28).
Important Sites
All important sites in the non-breeding period were in Australia and New Zealand. Outside Australasia, important sites were identified dur-ing migration periods in eastern Russia and the Yellow Sea area, and more were recognised during northward migration (13) compared with southward migration (6).
Migration
The Red Knot is capable of flying non-stop be-tween north-eastern China and northern Austral-ia. Southward migration is believed to differ from northward migration, with the southward route passing over the Pacific Ocean and the north-ward route along the east Asian coast (Higgins and Davies 1996). The distribution of important sites supports this. The species relies on a small number of sites in both migration periods.
Numbers peak in northern Australia during southward migration, with birds passing through the eastern Gulf of Carpentaria destined for south-eastern Australia and New Zealand. In contrast, birds that pass through north-western Australia disperse along the northern coastline and to southern Western and South Australia, with apparently little movement from north-western Australia to south-eastern Australia and New Zealand within a year (Higgins and Davies 1996). On northward migration, birds from New Zealand again stage in the Gulf of Carpentaria, but birds from southern Australia may overfly northern Australia en route to eastern Asia.
Figure 4.38 Red Knot – non-breeding distribution
Table 4.28 Distribution of the Red Knot in the non-breeding period
Country EstimateAustralia 135 000 New Zealand 68 000 China 10 000 Indonesia 5 000 other countries 960TOTALS: 218 960
Flyway Estimate: 220 000 1% threshold: 2 200 Staging threshold: 550Global Delany and Scott (2002): 1 090 000
88 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 89 88 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.39 Red Knot – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.29.
90 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 91 90 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Table 4.29 Red Knot - sites of international importance Site
Code Site Country Max Count Date SM NB NM B Ref.
38 Eighty Mile Beach AUS 80,700 NA . . . 99,10
313 Farewell Spit NZE 24,227 NA . . . 138
107 SE Gulf of Carpentaria AUS 23,657 1/03/1999 . . . 51
320 Manukau Harbour NZE 22,433 NA . . 138,138
317 Kaipara Harbour NZE 16,910 NA . . . 138
175 North-west Bo Hai Wan CHI 14,277 12/04/2000 . . . 20
323 Parengarenga Harbour NZE 13,500 NA . . . 138
102 Roebuck Bay AUS 11,200 NA . . 99,49,100
173 North Bo Hai Wan CHI 9,358 2/05/2002 . . . 20
154 Dongsha Islands CHI 8,140 1/09/1997 . . . 162
314 Firth of Thames NZE 7,819 NA . . . 142
30 Corner Inlet AUS 7,110 31/01/1987 . . . 8
179 Shi Jiu Tuo/Daqing He CHI 5,000 14/05/1992 . . . 18
97 Port Pirie coast AUS 4,800 23/01/2000 . . . 173
181 Shuangtaizihekou N. N. Reserve CHI 4,200 19/08/1999 . . 18,188
326 Whangarei Harbour NZE 4,198 NA . . . 138
191 Yancheng National Nature Reserve CHI 3,169 NA . . . 18
104 Roper River area AUS 3,100 NA . . . 59
343 Moroshechnaya River Estuary RUS 3,000 15/05/1998 . . . 68
315 Houhora Harbour NZE 2,855 NA . . . 138
27 Ceduna Bays AUS 2,788 1/02/2000 . . . 173
70 Lake MacLeod AUS 2,566 28/09/1987 . . . 90
324 Rangaunu Harbour NZE 2,500 NA . . . 138
361 Dongjin Estuary SKO 1,500 1/05/1998 . . . 180
190 Yalu Jiang National Nature Reserve CHI 1,499 2/05/1999 . . . 23
331 Baikal Bay RUS 1,000 10/08/1979 . . . 123
357 Asan Bay SKO 1,000 1/05/1998 . . . 180
167 Linghekou CHI 969 29/04/1999 . . . 21
161 Huang He National Nature Reserve CHI 756 27/04/1998 . . . 181
373 Namyang Bay SKO 580 1/05/1997 . . . 180
90 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 91 90 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
SanderlingCalidris alba
Figure 4.40 Sanderling – non-breeding distribution
Population
The monotypic Sanderling has a small breed-ing distribution in the high Arctic but disperses widely in the non-breeding period. No subspe-cies are recognised. The species is particularly abundant in the Americas and in Africa/Eurasia, with over 90% of the global population in these two regions based upon the estimates of Delany and Scott (2002).
Data
The Flyway population estimate is the same as that of Delany and Scott (2002). Nearly half the population spends the non-breeding period in Australia (Table 4.30).
Important Sites
Important sites during the non-breeding period were in Australia (12), China (1) and Japan (2). Most of the sites in Australia were in the south.
There were similar numbers of important sites in the two migration periods, with the majority of sites in Japan (10).
Two important sites in southern Australia, Green Point and Rivoli Bay (South Australia), were identified during the breeding period. These were presumably non-breeding birds that re-mained in the extreme south of the species’ non-breeding range. This has been reported in other flyways (Higgins and Davies 1996).
Migration
According to Higgins and Davies (1996), the Sanderling migrates south through eastern Chi-na, South Korea and Japan, with small numbers recorded in south-eastern Asia, suggesting that the birds overfly this region. The main region of arrival in Australia is in the north-west, but the non-breeding period distribution of the species within Australia has a southerly bias. The high counts in southern Western Australia that occur late in this period may be part of a westward movement prior to departure (Higgins and Dav-ies 1996).
Northward migration is reported to be similar to southward migration, but the species makes less use of northern Australia (Higgins and Davies 1996).
Table 4.30 Distribution of the Sanderling in the non-breeding period
Country EstimateAustralia 10 000 Indonesia 5 000 China 3 100 Japan 2 500 other countries 870TOTALS: 21 470
Flyway Estimate: 22 000 1% threshold: 220 Staging threshold: 55Global Delany and Scott (2002): 620 000 – 695 000
92 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 93 92 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.41 Sanderling – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.31.
92 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 93 92 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Table 4.31 Sanderling - sites of international importance
Site Code Site Country Max
Count Date SM NB NM B Ref.
191 Yancheng National Nature Reserve CHI 3,095 1/05/1990 . . 164,18
22 Canunda National Park AUS 360 2/10/1985 . . 8,49
368 Kum Estuary SKO 300 1/09/1999 . . . 18
221 Iioka Kaigan JAP 294 15/09/1998 . . . 92
9 Beachport National Park AUS 293 27/02/1981 . . . 8
215 Futtsu JAP 278 1/05/1998 . . . 94
11 Blanche Point AUS 266 12/11/1998 . . . 36
233 Kashimanada JAP 252 1/05/1998 . . . 94
286 Wajiro Higata JAP 241 1/01/1999 . . . 179
266 Sanbanze, Tokyo Bay JAP 238 1/12/1999 . . . 179
167 Linghekou CHI 105 29/04/1999 . . . 21
348 Sakhalinsky Bay RUS 60 2/08/1979 . . . 123
94 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 95 94 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Red-necked StintCalidris ruficollis
Figure 4.42 Red-necked Stint – non-breeding distribution
Population
The monotypic Red-necked Stint is restricted to the EAA Flyway.
Data
During the non-breeding period, over 80% of the population of the Red-necked Stint occurs in Australia, with small numbers in China, the Phil-ippines, Malaysia and Indonesia (Table 4.33).
Count data suggest that numbers of Red-necked Stints in Australia during the early 1980s were high (Rogers and Gosbell 2006). Existing estimates (e.g. Watkins 1993) were developed on the basis of count data from the 1980s. The population appears to have declined following poor breeding success in the early 1990s, but to have increased in recent years (Rogers and Gosbell 2006). The Flyway population devel-oped in this review draws heavily on the 1990s data and may not entirely account for the recent recovery of the population size.
Important Sites
All important sites in the non-breeding period were in Australia, while sites important during migration periods were in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, China, South Korea and Russia.
Similar numbers of important sites were rec-ognised on northward (25) and southward (22) migration, but the pattern varied between coun-tries. In Australia there were more sites identi-fied as important on southward than northward migration (8 compared with 2), whereas there were fewer sites identified as important during southward compared with northward migration in South Korea (2:8) and China (2:6).
In Russia, there were 6 sites identified as impor-tant during southward migration compared with 3 during northward migration, but levels of abun-dance varied between sites. On the Moroshech-naya River Estuary (Russia), estimates of total numbers of birds were greater on southward (300 000) than northward migration (100 000), whereas the highest estimates from Daursky Na-ture Reserve (Russia) were made on northward
migration (170 000 compared with 45 000).
Several sites in southern Australia supported internationally important numbers during the breeding period.
Migration
The Red-necked Stint is widespread in east-ern and south-eastern Asia during migration, but there are differences in distribution and abundance between the two periods. In Bru-nei, South Korea and Japan the species is more abundant during southward migration. On the west coast of peninsula Malaysia, Mai Po Marshes (China) and on the east coast of China the species is more abundant on north-ward migration. In Australia, the north-west is
Flyway Estimate: 325 000 1% threshold: 3 250 Staging threshold: 813Global Delany and Scott (2002): 315 000
Table 4.32 Distribution of the Red-necked Stint in the non-breeding period
Country EstimateAustralia 260 000 Philippines 12 000 China 12 000 Indonesia 7 000 Malaysia 6 000 Papua New Guinea 4 000 Thailand 4 000 Vietnam 2 000 other countries 2 100TOTALS: 309 100
94 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 95 94 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.43a Red-necked Stint – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.33.
used more on southward than northward migra-tion, and birds regularly cross the interior of the country between the north-west and south-east (Higgins and Davies 1996).
The distribution of important sites during the migration periods largely supports these obser-vations on seasonal differences in abundance. On available data, almost all Red-necked Stints
appear to migrate south through the Moroshech-naya River Estuary. On northward migration, the greater reliance on the Yellow Sea and on inland sites in Russia may occur because the frozen coastal areas in Russia. Overland migration from the Yellow Sea to the breeding grounds may be more important on northward than southward migration.
96 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 97 96 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Site Code Site Country Max
Count Date SM NB NM B Ref.
343 Moroshechnaya River Estuary RUS 300,000 NA . . 63,61
38 Eighty Mile Beach AUS 60,000 NA . . . 99,10
112 The Coorong and Coorong NP AUS 46,067 1/02/2003 . . . 73
107 SE Gulf of Carpentaria AUS 26,971 1/03/1999 . . . 51
36 Eastern Port Phillip Bay AUS 24,552 17/02/2001 . . . 148
Table 4.33 Red-necked Stint - sites of international importance
96 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 97 96 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.43b (enlargements) Red-necked Stint. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.33.
Table 4.33 (cont.) Red-necked Stint - sites of international importance
Site Max Site Country Date SM NB NM B Ref.Code Count393 Manila Bay PHI 2,567 4/04/1987 . . . 120
148 Chongming Dongtan N. N. Reserve CHI 2,515 2/05/1990 . . . 155
213 Fujimae Higata JAP 2,474 20/08/1989 . . 54,54
364 Han River SKO 2,400 1/05/2000 . . . 141
161 Huang He National Nature Reserve CHI 2,036 4/04/1999 . . . 181
379 Yong Jong Island SKO 1,150 1/05/1997 . . . 180
286 Wajiro Higata JAP 1,050 15/09/2000 . . . 179
332 Bolshoe Lake and Bolshaya River RUS 1,000 21/05/1993 . . . 68Mouth
330 Babushkina Bay RUS 1,000 1/08/1995 . . . 46
356 Aphae Island SKO 931 17/04/1998 . . . 116
98 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 99 98 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.44 Long-toed Stint – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.34.
Population The Long-toed Stint has a fragmented breeding distribution from central to eastern Russia, and migrates via the Central Asian and EAA Flyways to a non-breeding range that extends from India to Australia. For the purposes of this review, all birds recorded in Bangladesh and India were considered to have used the Central Asian Fly-way and data from these countries, with a com-
bined maximum count of 28 000, were therefore not used.
DataDuring the non-breeding period Long-toed Stints occur across freshwater wetlands, including rice paddy, of Asia. Survey effort of these habitats has been limited.
Important SitesImportant sites were widespread in eastern and south-eastern Asia, including Thailand (3), Bru-nei (1), China (1), Indonesia (1), Malaysia (1), Myanmar (1) and Russia (3). The count data from these sites came mainly from the migration periods, with important sites in the non-breeding
Long-toed StintCalidris subminuta
Flyway Estimate: 25 000 1% threshold: 250 Staging threshold: 62Global Delany and Scott (2002): 25 000 – 100 000
98 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 99 98 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
period only in Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar. Note that the count from Bali (Indonesia) does not specify a particular site but refers to the spe-cies making extensive use of paddy fields on the island.
MigrationFrom the review provided by Higgins and Davies (1996), it would appear that the list of important sites provides poor coverage of the distribution of the Long-toed Stint on migration and dur-ing the non-breeding period. For example, the Philippines is reported to be an important stag-
ing and non-breeding area, while Vietnam is considered important during southward migra-tion, but no important sites were identified in these countries. In addition, Higgins and Davies (1996) report that the Long-toed Stint is most common on southward migration in Jiangsu Province (China), but only one site was identi-fied in Jiangsu for this period. The low number of important sites identified in this review may be explained by the poor coverage of inland wet-lands in shorebird counts.Possible differences between southward and northward migration are not clear from the distri-bution of important sites.
Site Code Site Country Max
Count Date SM NB NM B Ref.
301 Papar MAL 2 230 1/09/1984 . . . 120
191 Yancheng NNR CHI 1 167 15/10/1990 . . . 164
337 Kharchinskoe Lake RUS 1 000 24/05/1999 . . . 67
382 Kato Sam Roi Yot NP THA 535 1/12/1984 . . . 31
137 Brunei Bay BRU 501 1/10/1986 . . . 120
196 Bali INO 500 27/03/1982 . . . 6
307 Irrawaddy Delta MYA 394 1/02/2006 . . . 122
341 Lososei Bay RUS 200 18/05/1980 . . . 123
334 Dagiy Bay RUS 100 23/07/1975 . . . 123
Table 4.34 Long-toed Stint - sites of international importance
Figure 4.45 Long-toed Stint – non-breeding distribution
100 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 101 100 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Population
Temminck’s Stint has a broad and almost con-tinuous breeding distribution from Scandinavia to the Chukotsky Peninsula of eastern Russia, with a non-breeding distribution from western Africa to southern and south-eastern Asia. It rarely oc-curs south of the Equator and no subspecies are recognised.
Data
A species of freshwater wetlands, Temminck’s Stint is under-represented in shorebird surveys. The lack of adequate non-breeding period count data has meant that a range estimate has been proposed. The range was guided by a migration estimate of 22 000 at Daursky Nature Reserve (Russia) (Goroshko 1995).
Important Sites
Few important sites were identified for Tem-minck’s Stint. Non-breeding period sites were in China and Thailand, and migration period sites in Russia, China and Thailand. Yancheng National Nature Reserve (China) was important in both migration periods and the non-breeding
Figure 4.46 Temminck’s Stint – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.35.
100 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 101 100 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
period. Individual locations within Yancheng with counts that exceeded the 1% threshold included Dongtai Dongshatan, Dongtai Liulishe, Guandong Saltworks, Sheyang Saltworks and Xintan Saltworks. These site are coastal or near-coastal, despite Temminck’s Stint generally being considered a species of inland, freshwater wetlands.
The high count in the Daursky Nature Reserve (Russia) was an estimate of the total number of birds moving through the site during northward migration, and may include birds of the Central Asian as well as the EAA Flyway.
Migration
Migration appears to occur through inland Russia to the east coast of China. Important sites exist as far south as peninsular Malaysia. The Daursky Nature Reserve is important on northward migration, and may also be so during southward migration.
Table 4.35 Temminck’s Stint - sites of international importance
191 Yancheng National Nature Reserve CHI 1,638 1/05/1990 . 164,169,163
382 Kato Sam Roi Yot National Park THA 281 1/12/1984 . . . 31
102 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 103 102 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminata
Population
No subspecies of the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper are recognised and the species is confined to the EAA Flyway. It is, however, recorded as a vagrant in south-western Asia, Europe and North America, with regular movement of juvenile birds along the Pacific coast of North America.
Data
Over 90% of the population occurs in Australia during the non-breeding period (Table 4.36). Many occur on ephemeral wetlands across inland Australia. The distribution of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers in Australia changes markedly from year to year based on the availability of this habitat.
during northward migration; less on southward migration. They may fly direct from eastern Asia to northern Australia and Papua New Guinea before spreading farther south (Lane 1987). Such direct flights are supported by the absence of important sites in south-eastern Asia.
The abundance of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers in northern Australia appears to be greater during northward than southward migration (Chatto 2003), possibly due to seasonal conditions. Higher numbers are also reported in Japan in this period (Higgins and Davies 1996), suggest-ing a more easterly route for northward com-pared with southward migration.
Flyway Estimate: 160 000 1% threshold: 1 600 Staging threshold: 400Global Delany and Scott (2002): 160 000
Table 4.36 Distribution of the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in the non-breeding period
Country Sum Country Estimates %
Australia 140 000 91
Indonesia 5 000 3
Papua New Guinea 5 000 3
China 4 100 3
Other countries 400 <1
TOTALS: 154 500 100
Important Sites
All important sites during the non-breeding period were in southern Australia. Most impor-tant sites during migration periods were also in Australia, with a few sites in Alaska (1), China (4) and South Korea (3).
Some sites in Australia were important during the breeding period.
Migration
According to Higgins and Davies (1996), Sharp-tailed Sandpipers migrate south from their breeding grounds at low density in a broad front across eastern Asia, which may explain the scar-city of important sites in Asia during this period. Barter (2002) suggests that 10% of the Flyway population passes through the Yellow Sea area
102 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 103 102 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.48 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.37.
104 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 105 104 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Table 4.37 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - sites of international importance
Site Code Site Country Max
Count Date SM NB NM B Ref.
59 Lake Cawndilla AUS 37,552 6/02/1996 . . . 33
38 Eighty Mile Beach AUS 25,000 NA . . . 99
94 Port Hedland Saltworks AUS 20,000 NA . . . 99
112 The Coorong and Coorong NP AUS 17,067 1/02/2002 . . 73,49
58 Lake Buloke AUS 12,000 1/02/1984 . . . 8
117 Tullakool Evaporation Ponds AUS 10,000 NA . . . 149
66 Lake Gregory AUS 10,000 NA . . . 75
47 Penrice AUS 9,800 13/12/1980 49,49,49,49
122 Yantabulla Swamp AUS 7,000 14/10/1997 . . . 174
123 Yantara Lake AUS 6,266 2/12/1985 . . . 8
107 SE Gulf of Carpentaria AUS 6,073 1/03/1999 . . . 51
65 Lake Gol Gol AUS 6,000 NA . . . 149
36 Eastern Port Phillip Bay AUS 5,971 1/01/1995 . 8,8,8
67 Lake Hawdon south AUS 5,100 17/01/2000 . . . 150
52 Kakadu National Park AUS 4,900 15/04/1994 . . . 40
76 Lake Tutchewop, Kerang AUS 4,562 2/06/1982 . . . 8
72 Lake Murdeduke AUS 4,500 2/12/1983 . . . 8
64 Lake George AUS 4,500 2/08/1987 . . . 8
91 Peel-Harvey system AUS 4,030 3/02/1999 . . . 42
62 Lake Eyre AUS 4,000 NA . . . 99
85 Nericon Swamp AUS 3,545 24/12/1995 . . . 33
114 Torry Plains Station AUS 3,250 8/12/1996 . . . 33
45 Gippsland Lakes AUS 3,187 1/01/1993 . . . 8
53 Kangaroo Island, South Australia AUS 3,150 1/01/1993 . . . 8
191 Yancheng National Nature Reserve CHI 3,125 28/04/2001 . . 26,163
371 Nakdong Estuary SKO 3,100 1/05/1987 . . . 120
403 Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta USA 3,000 NA . . . 70
37 Edithvale-Seaford AUS 3,000 6/02/2000 . . . 11
175 North-west Bo Hai Wan CHI 2,855 12/04/2000 . . . 20
89 Ocean Grove to Barwon Heads AUS 1,684 2/04/1989 . . . 8
182 South Bo Hai Wan CHI 1,262 2/05/2002 . . . 20
373 Namyang Bay SKO 1,139 18/05/1996 . . . 103
402 Stebbins-St Michael Wetlands USA 1,000 NA . . . 70
148 Chongming Dongtan N. N. Reserve CHI 978 27/04/2001 . . . 110
361 Dongjin Estuary SKO 650 1/05/1998 . . . 180
104 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 105 104 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
DunlinCalidris alpina
Population
The Dunlin has a circumpolar breeding distribu-tion and remains almost entirely within the north-ern hemisphere during the non-breeding period. At least 9 subspecies are recognised. Those currently accepted as using the EAA Flyway are C. a. arcticola, breeding in Alaska, and C. a. kistchinski, C. a. sakhalina and C. a. actites, breeding in Siberia and eastern Russia.
Data
Recent studies, particularly in North America, suggest that Dunlin populations are much higher than previously estimated, and are much higher than can be derived from summed counts made during the non-breeding period. Therefore, population estimates for the subspecies and for the species in the EAA Flyway have been calcu-lated on the basis of information from the breed-ing grounds and migration areas, supplemented by comments from Declan Troy and Robert Gill (North America) and Pavel Tomkovich (Russia).
The population of C. a. arcticola has been esti-mated at <750 000 (US Shorebird Conservation Plan 2000) although D. Troy (pers. comm.) has proposed a lower figure of c. 640 000. These estimates were based upon the nest density from sampling sites in northern Alaska. It is believed that the bulk of this population migrates to eastern Asia and passes through the Yellow Sea, and Barter’s (2002) Yellow Sea estimate of 660 000 supports this conclusion. It is not known, however, to what extent other subspe-subspe-cies utilise this region.
There are no population estimates for C. a. kistchinski and C. a. sakhalina, although P. Tomkovich (pers. comm.) suggested that each could be as abundant on its breeding grounds as C. a. arcticola. If this is assumed, then nearly 3 000 000 Dunlin would be present in EAA Flyway. Count data from the non-breeding period fall far short of this total and it is assumed that this is due to insufficient survey effort.
In the absence of specific data, population ranges of 100 000 to 1 000 000 are proposed for each of these subspecies. The population of C. a. actites has been estimated as 300 pairs
(Nechaev & Tomkovich 1987). If it is assumed that there are half as many immatures as adult birds in the population then this suggests a total population of 900.
In conclusion, the population estimates for each subspecies of the Dunlin in the EAA Flyway are:
C. a. arcticola 750 000C. a. kistchinski 100 000-1 000 000C. a. sakhalina 100 000-1 000 000C. a. actites 900
These provide the basis for a Flyway popula-tion estimate range with a minimum value of 950 000. This value makes the Dunlin the sec-ond most abundant shorebird in the EAA Flyway.
Important Sites
Important sites were in Russia (7), USA (Alaska; 1), South Korea (7) and China (9). Only three important sites were identified during the non-breeding period (in Taiwan, China). There are likely to be additional sites in North Korea.
Dunlin move through the Sea of Okhotsk in very large numbers. At Penzhina Gulf daily counts of up to 40 000 were made within the period mid-August to mid-September (Gerasimov 2004) . The sum of daily counts for this period was over 300 000. At Moroshechnaya River Estuary, passage during southward migration has been estimated at 350 000 (Gerasimov and Gerasi-mov 1997). Less than half this number were estimated to pass through the site on northward migration.
The scarcity of important sites in the non-breed-ing period may be due to dispersal into inland China where coverage is poor (M. Barter pers. comm.). The high count in East Dongting Hu (China) in early March 2001 could reflect such use of inland sites in the non-breeding period.
Migration
Very large numbers of Dunlin pass through eastern Russia on southward and northward migration. During northward migration, numbers are lower on the Moroshechnaya River Estuary when this may still be ice-bound. These birds may be the Russian-breeding C. a. sakhalina and C. a. kistchinski, although the proportion of Alaskan-breeding C. a. arcticola is unknown. The majority of birds passing through Japan and the Yellow Sea on northward and southward migration may be C. a. arcticola. Banding and leg-flagging studies should reveal the distribution of these three races on migration.
106 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 107 106 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.49 Dunlin – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in table 4.38.
106 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 107 106 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Table 4.38 Dunlin - sites of international importance
Site Code Site Country Max
Count Date SM NB NM B Ref.
343 Moroshechnaya River Estuary RUS 350,000 15/08/1990 . . 63,68
191 Yancheng National Nature Reserve CHI 57,867 28/04/2001 . . 26,18
337 Kharchinskoe Lake RUS 2,650 24/05/1999 . . . 67
108 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 109 108 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferruginea
Population
The Curlew Sandpiper breeds only in northern Siberia but has a non-breeding range that ex-tends from western Africa to Australia, with small numbers reaching New Zealand. No subspecies are recognised.
Data
Approximately 13% of the global population occurs in the EAA Flyway. Most birds are in Australia during the non-breeding period, with almost a quarter of the population in south-eastern Asia (Table 4.39). The Flyway estimate is less than the previous estimate of 250 000 by Watkins (1993), due mainly to lower numbers in Australia during the non-breeding period in the last two decades. A decline in numbers of Curlew Sandpipers was recorded in Australia during the 1990s (Wilson 2001 a & b) and there has been poor breeding success in recent years (Minton et al. 2005).
Important Sites
Important sites in the non-breeding period were in Australia (22), Malaysia (2), Indonesia (1) and Thailand (1). In Australia, 9 sites were important during migration, all in the southward period. In contrast, in Asia only two sites were identified during southward migration, both in Malaysia, whereas there were 11 sites identified on north-ward migration (8 in China and 1 each in Russia, Malaysia and the Philippines).
Migration
The distribution of important sites during the migration periods is consistent with the review by Minton (1998), with southward migration following a more westerly route across inland China than northward migration. Inland sites are probably under-represented.
On northward migration Barter (2002) estimates that only 10% of the population use the Yellow Sea, most occurring in western Bohai Wan. The low numbers in South Korea, Japan and coastal areas of the Russian Far East suggest that the main northward migration route is through inland China and Russia.
In northern Australia, numbers are greater dur-ing southward than northward migration (Chatto 2003), suggesting that birds on northward migration depart from southern Australia and overfly northern Australia (Higgins and Davies 1996).
A small number of banding recoveries (Pook 1992) show that some Curlew Sandpipers of the EAA Flyway occur in India. More research is need to understand the significance of these movements.
Figure 4.50 Curlew Sandpiper – non-breeding distribution
Table 4.39 Distribution of the Curlew Sandpiper in the non-breeding period
Country EstimateAustralia 115 000 Indonesia 20 000 China 15 000 Malaysia 10 000 Philippines 5 000 Thailand 4 000 Vietnam 2 000 other countries 1 750TOTALS: 172 750
Flyway Estimate: 180 000 1% threshold: 1 800 Staging threshold: 450Global Delany and Scott (2002): 1 350 000
108 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 109 108 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.51 Curlew Sandpiper – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.40.
110 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 111 110 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Table 4.40 Curlew Sandpiper - sites of international importance
Site Code Site Country Max
Count Date SM NB NM B Ref.
38 Eighty Mile Beach AUS 60,000 NA . . 99,10
70 Lake MacLeod AUS 41,606 28/09/1987 . . . 90
94 Port Hedland Saltworks AUS 25,000 19/11/1982 . . 99,12
113 Thomsons Lake Nature Reserve AUS 2,500 1/01/1993 . . . 8
79 Logan Lagoon, Flinders Island AUS 2,470 1/03/1984 . . . 124
294 Kapar Power Station MAL 2,290 27/10/1991 . . . 101
72 Lake Murdeduke AUS 2,100 2/12/1983 . . . 8
2 Albany Harbours AUS 2,054 1/01/1996 . . . 8
89 Ocean Grove to Barwon Heads AUS 2,000 17/02/1985 . . . 8
43 Forrestdale Lake Nature Reserve AUS 2,000 1/01/1993 . . . 8
179 Shi Jiu Tuo/Daqing He CHI 2,000 14/05/1995 . . . 18
393 Manila Bay PHI 1,278 4/04/1987 . . . 120
148 Chongming Dongtan N. N. Reserve CHI 805 26/03/2001 . . . 110
191 Yancheng National Nature Reserve CHI 784 28/04/2001 . . . 26
173 North Bo Hai Wan CHI 564 2/05/2002 . . . 20
186 Ta-Too-Hsi CHI 500 1/05/1987 . . . 120
110 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 111 110 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Population
The monotypic Spoon-billed Sandpiper is one of the world’s most threatened shorebirds and is listed as Vulnerable by BirdLife International (2001). It has a naturally small population and a restricted breeding range on the Chukotsky Peninsula of eastern Russia. It is confined to the EAA Flyway, although the non-breeding range extends from south-eastern India to south-east-ern Asia.
Data
Although the estimate given (Table 4.41) is less than that of Delany and Scott (2002), recent count data suggest that even this may be an overestimate. Surveys on the breeding grounds suggested that the population may be as low as 2 000 (Tomkovich et al. 2000).
Important Sites
Important sites in the non-breeding period were in Bangladesh and India. During southward migration, important sites were in Russia, South Korea, China and Japan, while on northward mi-gration important sites were identified in Russia, China and Vietnam.
BirdLife International (2001) summarised count
Spoon-billed SandpiperEurynorhynchus pygmeus
Flyway Estimate: <3 000 1% threshold: 30 Staging threshold: 7Global Delany and Scott (2002): 4 000
Figure 4.52 Spoon-billed Sandpiper – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the re-spective site in Table 4.41.
112 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 113 112 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
data on Spoon-billed Sandpiper. It included counts from sites in Sri Lanka (Bentota and Bundala) in the late 1970s that exceed the 1% threshold. However data from pre-1986 have not been included in this review.
Migration
BirdLife International (2001) have collated count data that show small numbers of birds in eastern Russia, the east coast of China, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. From these data, it appears that migra-tion is mainly down the east Asian coastline and around the Indo-Malay Peninsula to sites fring-ing the Bay of Bengal. Along the Asian coast birds concentrate in only a few areas, such as the Moroshechnaya River Estuary, sites on Sakhalin Island, in South Korea, the east coast of China, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Table 4.41 Spoon-billed Sandpiper - sites of international importance
Site Code Site Country Max
Count Date SM NB NM B Ref.
343 Moroshechnaya River Estuary RUS 500 15/05/1990 . . . 63
133 Maulavir Char BAN 202 30/01/1989 . . . 169
341 Lososei Bay RUS 200 30/05/1979 . . 123,123
369 Mankyung Estuary SKO 180 6/09/1999 . . . 125
361 Dongjin Estuary SKO 100 2/10/2000 . . . 18
127 Char Piya BAN 55 30/01/1989 . . . 169
135 Noakhali BAN 45 24/01/1991 . . . 96
225 Isahaya Higata JAP 41 NA . . . 159
409 Xuan Thuy Reserve VIE 27 7/03/1997 . . . 32
170 Mai Po Marshes CHI 16 NA . . . 120
191 Yancheng National Nature Reserve CHI 15 21/11/1991 . . . 169
112 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 113 112 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.54 Broad-billed Sandpiper – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.43.
Population
There are two sub-species of the Broad-billed Sandpiper: L. f. falcinellus that breeds in north-ern Europe and central Siberia and spends the non-breeding period from eastern Africa to India; and L. f. sibirica of the EAA Flyway. The non-breeding ranges of the two sub-species overlap in India, with the westernmost record of L. f. sibirica in Pakistan and the easternmost record of L. f. falcinellus in Thailand.
Flyway Estimate: 25 000 1% threshold: 250 Staging threshold: 62Global Delany and Scott (2002): 71 000 – 164 000
114 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 115 114 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Data
Data are now available to show that the species is more widespread in the non-breeding period then when the estimate of 16 000 was devel-oped by Watkins (1993). The Flyway estimate is within the range given by Delany and Scott (2002).
Important Sites
Important sites in the non-breeding period were in Bangladesh (2), Cambodia (1), Thailand (1), Malaysia (2) and Australia (1). Only 5 important sites were identified during southward migration, in China (2), South Korea (2) and Australia (1), while important sites during northward migration were more widespread, occurring in China (5), South Korea (1), Russia (1), Malaysia (1) and Vietnam (1).
Migration
According to Higgins and Davies (1996), south-ward and northward migration differ slightly, with more records in Japan on southward migra-tion and movement through inland China on
Table 4.42 Distribution of the Broad-billed Sandpiper in the non-breeding period
Country EstimateAustralia 10 000 Indonesia 4 000 China 2 000 Bangladesh 2 000 Malaysia 2 000 Thailand 2 000 India 1 000 Papua New Guinea 500 Cambodia 500 Myanmar 500 Vietnam 500 other countries 130TOTALS: 25 130
northward migration. These patterns are not clear from count data, with no sites identified in Japan, while coastal sites in eastern China were identified more during northward than southward migration. Sites of inland China may have been under-surveyed during northward migration.
Table 4.43 Broad-billed Sandpiper - sites of international importance
296 Kuala Kedah to Kuala Sungai MAL 360 5/01/1989 . . . 169
175 North-west Bo Hai Wan CHI 124 12/04/2000 . . . 20
181 Shuangtaizihekou N. N. Reserve CHI 115 12/05/1998 . . . 22
114 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 115 114 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.55 Red-necked Phalarope – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respec-tive site in Table 4.44. Breeding range according to del Hoyo et al. (1996) and Sauer et al. (2002).
Population
Although the Red-necked Phalarope has a circumpolar breeding distribution and three distinct non-breeding areas, no subspecies are recognised. The species is largely marine during the non-breeding period, feeding while swim-ming on the open ocean, but will also use near-coastal wetlands. In the EAA Flyway, the main non-breeding area is considered to be oceanic
between New Britain and the Philippines, north of New Guinea, although there are some records from the Timor Sea and Indian Ocean between Australia and Indonesia.
Data
There are few count data for the Red-necked Phalarope on which to base a Flyway population estimate, therefore a population range has been proposed. There was no previous population range for the species in the EAA Flyway.
Important Sites
Important sites were identified only during migra-tion periods and were in Papua New Guinea, China, Japan and Russia.
116 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 117 116 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Migration
The scarcity of important sites reflects the largely oceanic distribution of the Red-necked Phalarope outside the breeding period. Accord-ing to Higgins and Davies (1996), southward migration occurs overland and offshore across eastern Asia, with the species scarce in the region of the Indo-Malaysian peninsula, but
Table 4.44 Red-necked Phalarope - sites of international importance
Site Code Site Country Max
Count Date SM NB NM B Ref.
238 Komuke-ko JAP 30,000 1/05/1998 . . . 94
330 Babushkina Bay RUS 5,000 1/08/1995 . . . 46
410 Lake Dakataua PNG 4,500 1/10/1979 . . . 141
346 Penzhina River mouth RUS 3,461 4/08/2002 . . . 65
regular in the Philippines and abundant around New Guinea from October. There are also regular records from near-coastal wetlands of northern and north-western Australia from early in the southward migration period. The distribu-tion in the non-breeding period is influenced by the weather, such as cyclonic conditions, and the availability of food. Northward migration is considered to occur east of Borneo.
116 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 117 116 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.56 Asian Painted-snipe – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.45.
Population
There are two recognised subspecies of painted-snipe in the EAA Flyway: the migratory (or partly migratory) R. b. benghalensis in southern, south-eastern and eastern Asia, and the non-migratory R. b. australis of Australia. Lane and Rogers (2000) consider these to be separate species.
Data
R. b. benghalensis was infrequently counted, so a population range is proposed. This range is narrower than the 25 000 – 1 000 000 used by Delany and Scott (2002) as that estimate in-cludes birds of the Central Asian Flyway.
Important Sites
The only important sites identified were in India and Bangladesh. These were excluded on the assumption that they were based on counts of birds of the Central Asian Flyway.
Asian Painted-snipeRostratula benghalensis benghalensis
118 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 119 118 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Figure 4.57 Pheasant-tailed Jacana – sites of international importance. Numbers refer to the respective site in Table 4.46.
Population
The Pheasant-tailed Jacana is monotypic and occurs in southern and south-eastern Asia. Birds in the northern part of the species’ range are migratory, with only those in the east occur-ring within the EAA Flyway.
Data
The Pheasant-tailed Jacana has been poorly surveyed so the population range proposed by Delany and Scott (2002) has been retained. Count data indicated that the distribution within the Flyway through the non-breeding period is primarily from Bangladesh across to the Philip-pines (Table 3.2).
Important Sites
Important sites were located in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines. Only two of the sites were important during migration periods, but both are within the non-breeding range of the species.
118 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway | 119 118 | Migratory Shorebirds of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway
Migration
The distribution of important sites provides lit-tle insight on migration in the Pheasant-tailed Jacana. The occurrence of important sites within the period November to March coincides
with the dry season in much of south-eastern Asia (areas influenced mainly by the south-west monsoon, May to October), and the high counts could therefore have resulted from seasonal concentrations of resident birds rather than, or in addition to, the influx of migratory birds.
Table 4.46 Pheasant-tailed Jacana - sites of international importance
