Transcript Feathering the Future of Burnett Mary Shorebirds

‘Feathering the Future’
Shorebirds in the Burnett Mary Region
Tamara van Polanen Petel & Ashley Bunce
Centre for Environmental Management, Central
Queensland University
Shorebirds
Shorebirds (or waders) are typically wetland birds, include:
- Stints
- Stilts
- Sandpipers
- Curlews
- Plovers
- Godwits etc
A total of 75 species of shorebirds occur in Australia:
- 18 resident species
- 36 migratory species
- 22 vagrant species (occasionally recorded)
East Asian-Australasian Flyway
The East Asian-Australasian Flyway stretches from Siberia, northern
China, and Alaska (the breeding areas) southwards to Australia and
New Zealand where the birds rest and feed during the austral
summer.
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The flyway passes through 22 countries
55 migratory species (5 million birds) travel along the flyway
36 migratory species (2 million birds) reach Australia each year
Southwards migration
July to October
Northwards migration
March to early June
Shorebirds – Interesting Facts
Migratory shorebirds travel a round trip of 25,000km each year
Shorebirds fly at speeds of approx. 30 to 60 km/h
Shorebirds can fly non-stop for 3-4 days
Red-necked stint weighs only 30 g (fits into a wine glass!) but can fly
up to 2500 km without stopping
Shorebirds need to eat up to 1/3 of their body weight each day to
satisfy high energy demands
 important that birds can feed and rest when arrive at destination
Shorebirds under threat
Over 80% of wetlands in east and south-east Asia are classified as
threatened
20% of shorebirds that regularly migrate along the east Asian
Australasian flyway are classified as globally threatened
Threats to shorebirds include:
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Loss (reclamation) of coastal and inland wetlands
Changes to wetland hydrology
Invasive weeds
Introduced predators
Human-related disturbance
Climate Change
Conservation measures/efforts
International agreements (e.g. JAMBA, CAMBA)
Shorebirds of the Burnett Coast
Surveys undertaken by QWSG (December 2005 – March 2007)
Total population of shorebirds in the region was in excess of 28,000
31 species of migratory and resident shorebirds were encountered
Over 150 high tide roosts were recorded
Important sites
- Pancake Creek
- Fraser Is
3,700 shorebirds
3,900 shorebirds
Risk Analysis/Priority Sites
Dr Mays Is
Gables Pt Rocks
Pt Vernon
Bundaberg Port Swamp
16 species
11 species
Aim
Develop and undertake specific management activities aimed at
protecting internationally significant populations of shorebirds
within the Burnett Mary NRM region and to evaluate the
effectiveness of these actions in order to guide future on-
ground shorebird conservation activities.
Aims con’t
The specific aims of the project are:
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Identify the major risks to shorebirds within the Burnett
Mary NRM region and develop management activities
accordingly
Enable community-group participation in delivering on-ground
shorebird conservation measures and the protection of ‘top
priority’ shorebird areas
Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of management
activities for ensuring the protection of sensitive shorebird
populations
Develop guidelines for future community-based/local
government shorebird conservation projects
Workshop
1. Stakeholder and local community involvement
2. Facilitate knowledge exchange
- Knowledge about shorebird species, threats, or sites
- Current shorebird management actions
- monitoring and research
- on-ground works
- people or groups involved in shorebird
conservation projects
Threats to Shorebirds of
the Burnett Coast
Human disturbance
- beach activities
- 4WDs
- dogs
- other: camping, bait collection, water sports,
boating, kite surfing etc
Predation e.g. foxes, cats, dogs, gulls
Coastal Development - Habitat loss/decline in quality
Lack of awareness/community education
Pilot projects selected
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Human disturbance
 Compliance of beach users to temporary beach closures
(TBC).
 Effectiveness of TBC’s on hatching success (egg crushing)
 Effects of human activity on behaviour of terns on off-shore
islands
Predation
 Effectiveness of baiting on egg and chick predation
Lack of education & awareness
 Survey of knowledge and awareness of shorebirds
 Education drive
 Follow up survey
Human disturbance
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Temporary beach closure
8 sites in the Burnett Mary NRM region
Four observation days at each site
 before,
 day the signs erected
 7 days post sign
 21 days post sign
Measure compliance of people (incl. dogs)
between 0700 – 1800
All human activity around
TBC (50 m either side)
recorded
 gender
 age group
 location on beach
 activity e.g. sunbaking,
walking
Sign
Sign
15 m
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Sign
50 m
Preliminary results
92.6% of activity below high tide
96.2% of people were compliant, but
71.6% were ‘truly’ compliant, i.e. at or below low tide (incl. people who
have and haven’t read the sign)
‘Truly’
compliant
Treatment
Read
Compliant
Uncompliant
Day of sign
53.9%
70.6%
26.3%
3.1%
1 week after
22.1%
74.2%
23.2%
2.5%
3 weeks
after
33.8%
39.2%
48.5%
11.8%
Human disturbance con’t
• Effectiveness of TBC on hatching success – egg crushing
• Grid with artificial nests with 1 egg resembling beach stone-curlew
– 8 in TBC
– 8 out of TBC
• Inspect eggs at end of day
• Three times per site
Edge of
TBC
In dunes
At High tide mark
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Preliminary results
Eight sites, and treatments 1-3 = 368 eggs
Inside TBC = no crushed eggs
∴ TBCs safe guard eggs, however...
when uncompliant = ‘lucky’
Outside TBC = 10 eggs crushed (2.7%)
Value of TBC in protecting eggs (hatching success) is good, but… 7.4%
of people using the area above the high tide, are TBCs worth it?
Off-shore islands
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Behaviour of roseate terns nesting on Lady Elliot
Island in response to human activity
Two colonies
 high level of disturbance
 low level of disturbance
Preliminary results
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18.8% of time people in area bird(s) took flight
(388 occurrences of people, 73 flight occurrences)
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529 birds took flight over 19 hr of obs. due to people
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Mean number bird per disturbance event is 7 ± 7 (1-35)
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Flight time 15-190s
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Mean FID = 7.3m (0-20m)
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Most frequent FID = 7m
Number
# people
# birds
Time (hr)
Predation
• Predation on eggs and chicks at Burrum Coast National Park
• 40 artificial nests
– 20 with an egg
– 20 with a chick
• Before/after baiting experiment
• Five days of nest inspections
– dawn and dusk checks
– sand pad checks for fox tracks
Education/awareness
• Survey of knowledge of shorebirds and threats they face, prior
to TBC signs on beach
• Education drive
– School artwork competition
– Dog walkers breakfast
– Pamphlets
– Stickers
– Stubby holder
• Follow up survey to determine whether education drive effective
Projected outcomes
• An assessment of the effectiveness of the management
techniques trialled for the conservation of shorebirds in the
Burnett Mary NRM region
• Management outcomes for each technique with specific
management actions and a greater understanding of conserving
shorebirds in our region
• Educational material to raise awareness and/or increase
participation in shorebird conservation
Any questions!
For more information please contact me!
Tamara van Polanen Petel
Centre for Environmental Management
Central Queensland University
PO Box 1319
Gladstone 4680, QLD
ph: 07 4972 7289
email: [email protected]