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BirdLife Australia

  • Project: Developing Site Action Plans for Priority Migratory Shorebird Habitat in Victoria
  • Amount: $88,550 over two years
  • Year(s) Funded: 2018

Working collaboratively with community in a coordinated approach to manage and protect migratory shorebirds that regularly visit Australia

Coastal wetland habitats for shorebirds are under increasing pressure due to human activity. BirdLife Australia will build partnerships with land managers and communities in Victoria to ensure the management of nationally and internationally significant sites incorporate the conservation needs of migratory shorebirds.

CurlewSandpiper_DRW_4590.jpg
A Curlew Sandpiper. Weighing in at only 57gm, these small birds traverse the world. The breeding range of the Curlew Sandpiper is mainly restricted to the Arctic of northern Siberia. During the non-breeding season, they are can be found in Victoria around our coastal bays and inlets, near-coastal wetlands, and inland in suitable habitats such as the Kerang area, Mildura, and Western districts. Photo courtesy Birdlife Australia.
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“…a valuable contribution to ensuring important habitat for migratory shorebirds is managed in a way that maintains or improves habitat quality for these species, while also taking into careful consideration other land values and local community use of these sites.” Stuart Willsher, Parks Victoria

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Many land managers lack the resources, expertise or community support to manage sites for the 37 species of migratory shorebirds that visit our coastline. There is also a general lack of community awareness about the conservation needs of migratory shorebirds and the impacts of human activities on their habitats. Development of site action plans will include opportunities for community involvement in shorebird conservation and monitoring, as well as provide expert advice for land managers to address challenges and threats.

Snapshot:

Six internationally significant priority sites have been identified in Victoria across rural and urban areas.

Activities include:

  • Meetings with land managers to identify current management practices and challenges relevant to migratory shorebirds
  • Community workshops to discuss human use of site and opportunities to mitigate human disturbance to shorebirds
  • Shorebird identification and monitoring workshops to recruit and up-skill volunteers in shorebird monitoring at the priority sites
  • A State-wide symposium with land managers to facilitate collaboration and learning between significant sites

birdlife.org.au

Uploaded 24 September 2018