Community help needed to boost threatened shorebird monitoring

News article |

Natural Resources Northern and Yorke is seeking volunteers to join the monitoring effort for the threatened hooded plover throughout the upcoming breeding season.

A number of training courses and guided beach walks will be held across Yorke Peninsula between 17 and 21 September in preparation for the birds’ first nesting attempts of the season.

Hooded plovers are small shorebirds easily distinguished by their black ‘hood’, broad white collar across the back of the neck and black-tipped red beak, and they nest on the beaches of Yorke Peninsula in spring and summer.

Natural Resources Northern and Yorke Landscapes Ranger Janet Moore said numbers of the small shorebirds have been declining across southern Australia, as they struggle to find undisturbed spaces on the beach to breed. This results in an extremely high nesting failure rate and unsustainably low population growth.

“Over the last few years, a small but dedicated group of volunteers have been undertaking monitoring throughout the breeding season, recording nesting successes and failures from their local beaches, and reporting the data back to researchers at BirdLife Australia,” Ms Moore said.

“This data is then used to inform management decisions and protection measures to be taken when a nest is identified as high-risk.”

Ms Moore said the hooded plover project provides an opportunity for people with little to no scientific background to make a positive contribution to the conservation of one of Yorke Peninsula’s most iconic threatened species.

“Joining one of the training sessions or walks will give participants a wonderful opportunity to get to know their local birds and they will be rewarded by rare sightings of chicks or unique nesting behaviours,” Ms Moore said.

Guided Beach Walks
Monday, 17 September, 3.00 pmPort Victoria, car park north of Davies Terrace
Tuesday, 18 September, 4.00 pmPort Moorowie, McEachern’s car park
Wednesday, 19 September, 9.30 amPoint Turton, swimming centre beach car park
Thursday, 20 September, 2.00 pmCorny Point, Seaview Rd car park

Training Workshops
Tuesday, 18 September, 10.30 amPort Julia, Community Hall
Thursday, 20 September, 9.30 amMarion Bay, venue to be confirmed
Friday, 21 September, 10.00 amMoonta, Moonta Golf Club

The training courses and guided beach walks are part of the Beach-nesting Birds Project, which is delivered by the Naturally Yorke Community Action Planning initiative.

For catering purposes, registration for the workshops is essential. If you are interested in joining the Beach-nesting Birds Project, or would like further information, please contact Janet Moore at Natural Resources Northern and Yorke on 0447 418 391 or janet.moore@sa.gov.au.

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