 There is increasing evidence that migratory shorebird populations throughout the world are declining. Shorebirds using the East-Asian Australasian Flyway are under threat from widespread habitat destruction, especially prevalent at staging areas in East Asia. Australia, as home to 36 species of migratory shorebirds during the non-breeding season, is uniquely placed to assess the impacts of these threats on shorebird numbers.
Migratory Shorebirds are recognised as species of National Environmental Significance under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Monitoring of shorebirds suggests significant population declines in Australia of both resident and migratory species. Habitat loss is considered a major threat to shorebirds, which are considered good indicators of wetland health, and therefore provide a useful tool to assess the condition of Ramsar-listed wetlands.
 Population Monitoring
Within the Port Phillip Bay (western shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site, a number of migratory shorebird species occur in internationally significant numbers each year between September and April, namely Red-necked Stint, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Curlew Sandpiper. Groups such as the Victorian Wader Studies Group (VWSG), Geelong Field Naturalists Club (GNFC) and the Bellarine branch of Bird Observation and Conservation Australia (BOCA), have been monitoring shorebird populations on a voluntary basis within Port Phillip Bay through both counting and banding activities, for the past 28 years.
Where there is often a large amount of natural variation associated with shorebird counts, reducing any variation associated with the way the counts are undertaken is a priority. Reducing count variation has been identified as a requirement if population trends are to be identified for any species within any shorebird area. Identifying methods to reduce count variation will increase the sensitivity of population models so that changes in shorebird populations could be detected faster. Typically, two counts are conducted each season. The current project aims to increase the number of surveys from two to five per season, with the help of existing and new volunteers. Together with work on population trends using existing shorebird count data, the project will also provide a relative measure of how shorebirds in Port Phillip Bay are faring compared to the rest of Australia.
 Habitat Mapping
Shorebird roost sites are mapped at high tide, and their foraging areas at low tide at a scale of 1:5000, so that the GIS layers created are current and of high resolution, and can be incorporated into council planning overlays. The mapping of foraging and roosting habitat of shorebirds carried out at a high resolution, enables its effective use by coastal planners and stakeholders, to ensure the conservation of migratory shorebirds, in regions where the number of threats are growing.
Get Involved
You can be involved in shorebird monitoring in Port Phillip Bay by heading out to one of the many count areas in the bay and on the Bellarine Peninsula and counting migratory and resident shorebirds. Surveys usually take 2-3 hours depending on the site, and take place on selected weekends from December to March. You can participate in one or as many surveys as you like! As shorebirds occupy a range of habitats including ocean beaches, estuaries, saltmarsh, freshwater wetlands and lakes, as well as seeing some amazing migratory shorebirds which have flown tens of thousands of kilometres to reach Australia, you're bound to see a variety of other birds during surveys too, including Orange-bellied Parrots, Brolga, Magpie Geese, Wedge-tailed Eagles, Fairy Tern, Australasian Bittern, Brown Quail and Striated Fieldwren, to name just a few.
To register your interest in the 2009/2010 Summer surveys, contact
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at the Birds Australia National Office 03 9347 0757.
 Downloads
Project Information Flyer
Shorebird count area map- click to find a site near you to survey
Port Phillip Bay Shorebird Monitoring Project newsletter:
Issue 1 l Issue 2 l Issue 3 l Issue 4
Reports
Migratory Shorebird Monitoring in the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site
Local movements of Shorebirds and high-resolution mapping of shorebird habitat in the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site
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