THE BIRDS OF THE NORTH COAST OF NSW AND THEIR HABITATS Shorebirds, Coastal-birds & Coastal Raptors vv Habitat is defined as follows: From the Latin = it dwells Encyclopaedia Britannica: place where an organism lives, including all living and nonliving factors or conditions of the surrounding environment Free Dictionary: the natural environment of an organism; place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism: What is a shorebird or wader? Shorebirds (waders) are birds of beaches, estuaries, intertidal flats, saltmarshes and freshwater wetlands How do we tell the difference among shorebirds? 3 points to look for in the field: • size • bills (beaks) length, shape and colour • legs colour and length Feeding Ecology Coastal shorebirds’ lives are governed by the tide, not by the sun • Usually feed on exposed mudflats • Large daily requirement relative to body weight • Large birds feed the least - slow metabolism • Small birds feed constantly • Feeding techniques ; • “sandpiper strategy” slow walk and probe – sensory method • “plover strategy” run & stop – visual method • Good roosting area essential to conserve energy • Feeding and roosting in flocks provide predator protection Feeding Ecology 2 types of shorebird in Australia Migratory shorebirds • • 36 species regularly migrate to Australia 22 species regularly recorded in the Northern Rivers - plus 3 known vagrants Resident shorebirds • 18 species live and breed in Australia • Northern Rivers - 11 Migration Facts • Breed in the Northern Hemisphere from North China, Mongolia, Siberia, Alaska & Japan • Migrate to non-breeding areas in the Southern Hemisphere – mainly coastal Aust. & NZ, • Some inhabit inland wetlands such as lake Eyre • Only ever experience summer (avoiding winter in both hemispheres). • Start arriving in Australia in September • Start their departure end of February • One exception – NZ breeding Double-banded Plover winters in Australia • Adults leave the breeding grounds two weeks prior to the young • Young and old may over-winter in Australia Migratory Flyways of Shorebirds East Asian- Australasian Flyway Breeding Area • 5 million shorebirds migrate worldwide • 2 million migrate to Australia • 56 species regularly migrate world-wide • 36 species migrate to Australia • 22 species regularly migrate to NR Migration - facts East Asian- Australasian Flyway • 20-29,000km round trip • Regularly fly up to 8,000km non-stop (3-9 days non stop) • Fly by day and night • Altitudes 3,000-8,000m AWSG • Speed 30-60km/hr Migration - adaptations • Long, pointed wings for swift, long distance flight Prior to migration: • Birds feed intensively & their body mass increases by up to 70-80% • 2-5% weight gain per day • Fat is deposited under the skin Note fat deposited in rear underbody • Exercise muscles increase in size • Digestive organs enlarge Shorebird Habitats ocean beaches sheltered bays I Sutton rivers lakes, dams and sewage ponds HABITAT: The Belongil Estuary – Byron Bay HABITAT: The Brunswick River & Marshall’s Creek, Brunswick Heads HABITAT: Flat Rock Lennox Head HABITAT: West Byron Wetlands Bar-tailed Godwit – Limosa lapponica • Breeds: Artic Tundra Length: 37-39cm • Breeding Habitat: Artic tundra - treeless & mossy • Habitat Australia: intertidal flats rarely far from coast - at high tide roosts will stand in shallow water as well as dry land • Food: – molluscs, worms & aquatic insects Breeding feathers Flight of the Bar-tailed Godwit E7 • E7 in 2007 to undertake the longest non-stop flight of any bird. • Travelled from Alaska to NZ • The distance between these two locations is 9,575 kms, • Actual track flown by the bird was 11,026 kms • The flight took approximately nine days. • The round trip approx 29,181 kms from March to September (6 months) Pacific Golden Plover - Pluvialis fulva Breeds: Central & Eastern Siberia & Alaska Length: 23-36cm • Habitat Australia: Intertidal sand & mudflats & rocky shores. Prefers to roost in saltwater couch • Food: small marine invertebrates especially worms , insects & larvae when breeding • Breeding Habitat: well drained tundra Grey-tailed Tattler Coastal Birds – Terns – feed on the ocean Little Tern – breeds in Australia migrates to Japan Crested Tern –breeds & lives in Australia Little, Common & Crested Terns at Belongil Common Tern – breeds in Siberia & migrates to Australia for summer Resident shorebirds • Breed in Australia – seven known to breed in NR • Some stay in one place all year. • Others undertake nomadic movements - depending upon availability of food and breeding opportunities. • Some nest exclusively on beaches • Others breed on ephemeral & permanent freshwater wetlands • Some have moved beyond wetlands (Bush Stone curlew) Red-capped Plover Breeds: All over Australia - Charadrius luficapillus Length: 14-16cm Nest Habitat: Sandy beaches, mudflats, saltmarshes, Food: molluscs & small crustaceans Grey-tailed Tattler Beach Stone-curlew Breeds: – Eracus magnirostris Coastal Australia - mid WA to Victoria Length: 54-59cm • Habitat : exposed & sheltered beaches • Food: Crabs • Nest: bare ground –beach debris • Mainly nocturnal but influenced by the tide Grey-tailed Tattler Pied Oystercatcher Breeds: Coastal Australia – Haematopus longirostris Length: 45-50cm Habitat: Ocean beaches & intertidal mudflats Food: bi-valve molluscs also worms, crustaceans & insects One of a few shorebird that feeds it’s Grey-tailed Tattler Coastal Raptors – Osprey Nests: place with a view, tops of trees, cliffs, manmade poles. Used for many years. Sticks are added each year Habitat: Coastal waters & estuaries Food: Fish only –will dive under water to 1 meter NON SHOREBIRDS Bush Stone -curlew Breeds: Australia – Burhinus grallarius (endangered in NSW) Length: 52-58cm Habitat: woodlands and cleared areas throughout Australia Food: molluscs, insects, small mammals, seeds. Feeding takes place only at night. Grey-tailed Tattler Rainbow Bee-eaters Breeds: throughout Australia – Merops ornatus Length: 23-28cm (not desert) Habitat: sand dunes, cleared or lightly timbered forests Food: insects Grey-tailed Tattler Black-fronted Dotterel – Elseyornis melanops Breeds: throughout Australia (like a plover , on the ground) Length: 16-18cm Habitat: near freshwater, not usually coastal Food: aquatic and terrestrial insects Grey-tailed Tattler Some Important Habitats for the Northern Rivers Essential estuaries & wetlands • Estuaries & wetlands are a major food source for birds • Food resources include plant life, roots and shoots, crustaceans, frogs, molluscs, worms, insects and fish • Up to 70% of fish species caught in NSW rely on estuaries at some stage of their life cycle. • The mangroves and sea grasses provide shelter for juvenile fish. • Estuaries & wetlands provide near perfect conditions for raising chicks. • In and around the Belongil estuary alone Byron Bird Buddies has recorded 142 species of birds. The End Principal Bird photography sourced from the Internet Bird Song – A Field Guide to Australian Birdsongs (BOACA) Additional Bird photography courtesy of Debra Pearce, Reid Waters Bird Information from The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds Prizzey & Knight Field Guide to the Birds of Australian M. Morecombe Field Guide to Australian Birds Birds Australia Website Qld Wader Study Group PP Shorebirds of Australia (Geering, Agnew, Harding)