Incoming: Thousands of weary travellers

Images: Courtesy of Moreton Bay City Council.

With 40,000 migratory shorebirds heading to Moreton Bay in the coming weeks for a much-needed rest, residents and visitors are being urged to keep their distance – along with their dogs.

The birds, which have travelled thousands of kilometres, pause at Moreton Bay foreshores to rest, recuperate and gain weight so they can continue their journey.

One of those bird species is the Curlew Sandpiper, which is known to travel 13,000km from Siberia every year.

It will cover a distance equivalent to flying to the moon during its life and joins up to 30 migratory species which will roost at several sites across Moreton Bay this summer.

These include Kakadu Beach (within Banksia Beach), Toorbul’s Ned Bishop Park and foreshore areas from Godwin Beach to Woody Point.

Other frequent fliers visiting Moreton Bay include the Bar-Tailed Godwit, which makes a non-stop 11,000km one-way trip from Alaska and the Eastern curlew - the world’s largest shorebird that drops in from northern China after spending the breeding season in the Amur River Valley.

Another Siberian tourist, the Grey-Tailed Tattler, will also visit.

The migratory birds will share the sand with about 1500 local shorebirds, such as the Pied Oystercatcher and Beach Stone-Curlew along Pumicestone Passage, before taking off again in April.

Let them rest

Moreton Bay City Council Mayor Peter Flannery says it is important the birds are not disturbed while they rest and recover.

“Be sure to give shorebird roosts a wide berth as disturbances can cause them to lose energy and prevent them from gaining the weight needed for migration,” Mayor Flannery says.

“Residents should avoid areas where shorebirds feed or roost and dogs should be kept on a leash unless they are in a designated off leash area.

“Together, we can all play a part in keeping our vulnerable visitors safe during their stay.”

Moreton Bay City Council Local Law Rangers regularly conduct patrols of beaches and adjacent parkland areas throughout the city, including dog off-leash and on-leash areas.

Council Environment Officers also monitor roost areas and beach nesting birds between August and February.

Council also manages two hightide shorebird roosts at Kakadu Beach and Toorbul which provide long-term habitat for roosting shorebirds.

Moreton Bay is one of 65 sites which fall under the RAMSAR convention. This convention aims to protect internationally important wetlands.

Moreton Bay also forms part of a bird migratory network known as East Asian–Australasian Flyway, which is one of only nine major flyways around the world.

It encompasses about 22 countries stretching from the Russian Far East and Alaska, southwards through East Asia and south-east Asia and south to Australia and New Zealand.

How to help resting shorebirds

• Don’t disturb them. Disturbances can cause them to use energy. This can prevent them from gaining the weight needed for migration
• Giving them space. Swimming, boating, kayaking and fishing within 100m of shorebirds may make them take flight and burn vital energy
• Avoid areas where they are feeding or roosting
• Walk dogs on a leash unless in a designated off-leash area
• Keep our natural areas clean. Put rubbish in the bin, take your fishing equipment with you and avoid single-use plastics
• View them from a distance using binoculars, viewing scopes, cameras and bird hides.

To find out more about migratory and residential shorebird populations, visit https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Environment/Moreton-Bay-Wildlife/Local-Wildlife/Shorebirds

To find out more about bird watching locations, visit https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Environment/Moreton-Bay-Wildlife/Local-Wildlife/Birdwatching