the birds of the north coast of nsw and their habitats
TRANSCRIPT
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THE BIRDS OF THE NORTH COAST OF NSW AND
THEIR HABITATS
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Shorebirds, Coastal-birds & Coastal
Raptors
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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:
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What is a shorebird or wader?
Shorebirds (waders) are birds of beaches, estuaries, intertidal flats, saltmarshes and
freshwater wetlands
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• 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?
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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
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Feeding Ecology
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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
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• 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
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• 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
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• 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
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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
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Shorebird HabitatsShorebird Habitatsocean beaches
rivers lakes, dams and sewage ponds
sheltered bays
I Sutton
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HABITAT: The Belongil Estuary – Byron Bay
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HABITAT: The Brunswick River & Marshall’s Creek,
Brunswick Heads
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HABITAT: Flat Rock Lennox Head
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HABITAT: West Byron Wetlands
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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
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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)
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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
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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
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• 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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NON SHOREBIRDS
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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)