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